I Wanna Be Your Melody
by Rose235b
Summary: AU, set in Season 3! Kurt and his twin sister, Mary, start their senior year with very different relationship statuses - one in a healthy, blooming relationship, the other with a recent break-up and a year of celibacy. And while Kurt is busy with his boyfriend, Marlo's busy figuring out what she's gonna do after High School. Klaine, Rory/OC
1. Prologue

**A/N: **I know I shouldn't really start another story, but I thought about this one for over a year now. So yeah, say hi to Marlo, this time as Kurt's twin sister. YAY!

It's going to be mostly focused on Klaine and Rory/Marlo, with past Jeff/Marlo and maybe future Niff. Other than that it's going to be canon, sorry non-cannon-pairings-shippers.

* * *

Mary "Marlo" Hummel hated High School. Well, not really High School per say – she was just never fond of the people there. Jocks. Cheerleaders. Nerds. Sluts. Labels were never her thing. But maybe that's because she applied to the last one.

But that was years ago, just when she started this hellhole called William McKinley High School. Now, as a Senior, she was proud to say that she haven't slept with anyone for almost a year.

But labels were never about what you stopped doing, she was never going to be the one who stopped whoring herself around – they were about what you already did. That's why Quinn will be the pregnant celibacy club president for the rest of her life. That's exactly why guys slapped Marlo's ass when she passed by them. That's why each time someone found a positive pregnancy test in girl's bathroom the whole school exploded with gossip about her baby's possible fathers.

That's why her last boyfriend was living two hours away from Lima. Jeff never knew about _that_. Of course, he knew she had experience with guys – many guys – before. He just didn't have to know that being the school's slut was the lowest of the highest positions in the High School's food chain.

She didn't have to worry about herself, so she could worry about her twin brother, Kurt, instead. She used her position to help him too. Her 'leave him alone and you might get something from this' moments were legends now. And Kurt didn't have to know exactly what she did to help him.

But people called her names and it's not that it bothered her, but it bothered people around her.

She was used to that. For her 'slut' was like 'fag' for Kurt. It did sting at the beginning, but now it was just another word directed to her.

It was reasonable for her brother to react the way he did when she told him that she and her lovely, one-of-a-kind boyfriend, one of the few boys Kurt was actually close to, Jeff Sterling, broke up.

'Mary, what has gotten into you?!'

'Kurt, Jeff and I… We were serious, but… We just figured out we weren't made for each other.'

There was more to it, and she was sure Kurt knew that too, but she wouldn't spill. It wasn't her secret to tell.

'Just… If it makes you happy, we agreed that if we're thirty and still single, we'll try again and probably end up married.'

That wasn't a lie. Jeff was serious when he told her that he wanted to be with her. And she wanted to be with him too. But Jeff wanted someone else more. And she didn't do second choices.

Her brother sighed, clearly disappointed. She didn't blame him. He was so happy when she told him she sort-of started to date one of the Warbler guys. And at first it was just a summer fling. But after two weeks things got serious and it turned out that Jeff was probably the most perfect guy she ever met. Except for the second choice part.

She didn't want that. She wanted an equal, not someone better than her. She wanted passion and love and fluff and angst and all the other things that came with relationship. The tears, the fights, the hurt. Jeff was too perfect for that.

Their break-up was friendly and mutual. She didn't want to live with the fact that she was someone's second best, he didn't want to live hurting her 24/7.

And weeks after Jeff, when she finally recovered from the ache he left in her heart, _he _got in the picture. Goofy, naïve, innocent and always asking questions. He was exactly like Jeff but still so _different_, like he was made for her.

He wasn't Jeff's substitute. Jeff was his substitute, and she didn't realize it until she talked to him. He wasn't some rebound. Lady Fate just planned it a bit weirdly and that's how she ended up dating Jeff. Cause he was so much like the guy she was looking for, but still not enough.

And now, looking back, she could safely say that the break-up with Jeff was the wisest thing to do, for both of them.

But for now, let's start at the beginning of her and Rory Flanagan's story.


	2. Think Of What You Did

**A/N: **So yeah, it's still kind of introducing Marlo in glee verse. Hope you'll like it.

The song used is _Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off _by _Panic!At The Disco_ (I recommend acoustic version).When it comes to lyrics, _Marlo's cursive, _**Puck's bold **and _**both is bold & cursive.** _

* * *

_Think Of What You Did_

* * *

Marlo hated Mr. Shue, always have, always will. He always had those stupid ideas. Disco. Madonna. Lady Gaga. Britney Spears. Sex. They never really fit all of them, there was always the little group of people who didn't know what the hell was going on, and while she enjoyed some of the numbers they did, she couldn't help the jealousy creeping in whenever Shue complimented Rachel. If her voice was so unique, then why did she screw up most of the songs she got to sing? Sad ballads were always the same – with ugly faces and tears in her eyes. Pop numbers were always awful – her voice didn't fit anything not Broadway-related. Barbra songs were nothing compared to original versions. And still, even though they had a fucking _countertenor_, voice that really was one in a million, all her brother did was swaying in the background while Finchel sang another duet. Equal-rights in glee her ass.

If it wasn't for Kurt, she'd quit glee ages ago.

But this, Purple Piano Project, was too much. She hated it. Especially since the piano appeared in her English class, the one she had with Puck. They exchanged worried looks.

Before the class officially started they were already seated in front of the class, Puck's guitar in his hand, as always magically appearing out of thin air.

This performance could make or break this class. This could either turn into Sex Riot or total disaster.

**Is it still me that makes you sweat?**  
_Am I who you think about in bed?_  
**When the lights are dim and your hands are shaking as you're sliding off your dress?**  
_Then think of what you did_  
**And how I hope to God he was worth it.**  
_When the lights are dim and your heart is racing as your fingers touch his skin._

_I've got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck_**  
****Than any boy you'll ever meet, sweetie you had me****  
****Girl I was it, look past the sweat, a better love deserving of****  
**_**Exchanging body heat in the passenger seat?**__**  
**_**No, no, no, **_**you know it will always just be me**_

_Let's get these teen hearts beating faster_

**So testosterone boys** **and **_**harlequin girls,**_  
**Will you dance to this beat, and hold a lover close?****  
**_So testosterone boys and __**harlequin girls,**__  
__Will you dance to this beat, and hold a lover close?_

**So I guess we're back to us, oh cameraman, swing the focus  
In case I lost my train of thought, where was it that we last left off?**

_Oh now I do recall, we were just getting to the part  
Where the shock sets in, and the stomach acid finds a new way to make you get sick._  
I _hope you didn't expect to get all of the attention._  
_**Now let's not get selfish**_**  
Did you really think I'd let you kill this chorus?**

**Let's get these teen hearts beating faster**

_So testosterone boys and __**harlequin girls**__,__  
__Will you dance to this beat, and hold a lover close?__  
_**So testosterone boys and **_**harlequin girls**_**,****  
****Will you dance to this beat, and hold?**

_Dance to this beat__  
_**Dance to this beat**  
_**Dance to this beat**__**  
**_  
**Let's get these teen hearts beating. Faster, faster**  
_**Let's get these teen hearts beating faster**__**  
**_  
**I've got more wit, a better kiss, a hotter touch, a better fuck**  
_Than any girl you'll ever meet, sweetie you had me__  
__Boy I was it, look past the sweat, better love deserving of__  
__**Exchanging body heat in the passenger seat?**__  
__No, no, no, __**you know it will always just be me**__  
_**  
**_So testosterone boys and __**harlequin girls,**__  
__Will you dance to this beat, and hold a lover close?_  
**Testosterone boys and **_**harlequin girls,**_**  
****Will you dance to this beat, and hold?**

**So testosterone boys and **_**harlequin girls**_  
_So testosterone boys and __**harlequin girls**__  
__**Hold a lover close**_

* * *

'I'm disappointed in you, Mary and Puck. I expected more from you two.'

'What?' She got up. 'You told us to sing every time we saw a f-''Marlo!''-ing purple piano! So what if we sang "Lying…"?'

'Mary, the whole title of the song is "Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off"! It's highly inappropriate!'

'Like we do appropriate things here!' She flung herself at the chair. 'Mostly we sing about sex, do weird sex themed assemblies and other shit like that.'

Shuester sighed, rubbing his temples. 'Okay guys, who else thinks we're doing sex themed songs in this club most of the time?'

Almost all of the hands shot up in the air.

Mr. Shue sighed. 'You're all dismissed. Go do some useful and not sex related things with your life, like homework.'

* * *

'What are you doing here on this fine afternoon, Blaine Warbler?'

'God, Marlo, you scared me!' The boy jumped a good foot up in the air, clutching at his heart.

'You never answered my question' She looked closely at his clothes. _Weird, he's out of his Dalton uniform_. 'Is that a _bowtie_?'

'Maybe' He tugged at the neat bow tied around his neck. 'I'm here to.. You know…'

Marlo always liked Blaine. He always carried his tiny heart on his tiny sleeve. They used to spend some time last summer having some pop-rock jamming sessions. And even though they were exactly the same height, she loved to joke about how short he was compared to other guys.

'You're transferring to be with Kurt' _You are doing something stupid for my twin brother. I love him, but he might really not be worth it. _'From a safe private school full of open minded hotties to a homophobic public High School just because your boyfriend's going to spend this year here.'

_I can see it. He knows it's stupid._

'Yeah.'

'You've got it bad, shortie.'

* * *

Mary and Finn were complicated. They got together well, they both liked football and stupid video games. Finn got her more than he got Kurt, and while in their Sophomore year that used to be a reason why Kurt was jealous - with his crush on Finn he longed for any kind of feelings from the giant teen – now it was more comfortable for the both of them. Finn, while he wasn't outright homophobic, was kind of awkward around Kurt and Blaine when they got really lovey-dovey, and with her recent break-up, Mary was sick of romance, so they spent the time when Blaine came over and got cozy with Kurt in the living room together, playing some X-Box games in Finn's room. And although she hated his girlfriend's guts, she still spent couple of hours after school, giving him advice on the ways he could woo Rachel off her hobbit feet. And even though she kept reminding him that, no, the fact that he was the tallest didn't mean he was the eldest, cause in fact she was three months older than him and five minutes older than Kurt, which made her the eldest Hudson-Hummel child, so he had to listen to her and do her chores.

Yeah, they were complicated, but she loved her new younger brother.

* * *

Marlo and Santana never were really close. In fact, she couldn't remember having a decent conversation with the Latina, like, ever, so you could safely say that they weren't best friends. But even she had to admit that Mr. Shue made a huge mistake kicking her out of Nude Erections. With Quinn and Lauren out, they were in desperate need of more members, even though they had the assigned twelve to compete, so Blaine randomly transferring and joining was saving their life, but Shuester just had to ruin it all. Plus, Santana had a great voice.

So Mary had yet another reason to hate Will Shuester.

* * *

Mary envied her brother. He knew what he wanted to do with his life since he was nine and even though she was eighteen, Mary still couldn't figure out something as simple as what she wanted to study in college.

She could sing, but it wasn't like her voice was something big – it wasn't like she could pull off a note as high as the ones Rachel pulled out of her sleeves, or hold a note as long as Mercedes without choking and eventually dying. And she wasn't that much of a dancer – yes, she could dance, but it wasn't like she could compare her dance-skills to Brittany's professional moves or her own twin's high kicks and nitro-driven shimmies. Underneath the thick, colorful make-up, blonde hair with pink streaks and sickeningly pale skin, she was pretty normal. No unexpected talents or amazing skill in anything except bed. And she really didn't want to end up as a porn star or a prostitute, so that option was out.

Maybe she just had to wait and figure out what she was good at.

But deep down, she just knew that she wasn't made for big things.

* * *

Mary really loved Kurt, but sometimes, she just had to sit down and dwell on the fact that her twin was an idiot. She always told him that Brittany and Rachel were lovely and all that shit, but in the end, they'd do anything to get what they wanted. And, as always, it turned out she was right. When Kurt started his campaign for senior class president, both of them decided to run against him. Kurt didn't deserve that after the West Side Story fiasco.

So yeah, maybe she was jealous. Kurt suddenly started to spend his time with Rachel and left her and Mercedes alone. She at least got a couple of hours with Kurt when he wasn't sucking Blaine's face or joined at the hip with Rachel when they were home, but Mercedes felt lonely and she knew that. She tried to spent time with her but it turned out that without Kurt they didn't have a lot in common. Mercedes loved fashion. Marlo loved cars. Kurt loved both. It went that way for most of the things, except for boys. Kurt liked his guys dark and handsome (and short, let's not forget about that). Mercedes and Mary loved blond or light-brown haired, tall guys. The fact that they both dated Sam Evans at some point in their lives, instead of making them fight, brought them closer. They could both laugh at his sweet geeky-ness and trade little funny facts about him.

If Sam was the thing that she and Mercedes bonded over, she could live with it.

* * *

There always comes a day in your life when you wake up and think to yourself: "I don't know what the fuck I'm doing with my life". Mary Hummel woke up with that thought a day before Halloween. She felt like crying.

She wanted something to happen. Everyone around her were either fulfilling their dreams or in love and she was just sitting on her ass, doing nothing. It seemed like sleeping around was the only thing she ever did.

She felt ashamed. She knew why she did what she did – she wanted the pain to stop. She wanted her mother back, but she knew Elizabeth will never come back. Her mother died. And it turned out that the only thing that numbed the pain was sex.

She tried everything. Cutting. Alcohol. Even drugs once. But nothing worked. Only sex could make her forget.

And Jeff. But it's not like she could call him right now. He was one of her best friends, but still, he was her ex. It's not like he called her in the middle of the night, asking her what was his angle, cause he couldn't seem to find it.

She was messed up. Jeff was too, but in a different way.

Maybe that's why they didn't work out. Except for the fact that Jeff was already in love.

She knew she could trust Jeff. After all, he trusted her enough to be honest with her that August night they broke-up. He told her exactly what was going on in his heart. He was brave enough to admit that he loved someone else to a girl who kept a pocket-knife in her bra. That he loved Nick Duval.

And she really, _really_ respected Jeff. He came out to her as pansexual and spared her pain with carrying on the mess that was their relationship.

She wasn't pinning after Jeff. Jeff was just a great listener and friend who would give her the best advice. Her own twin brother seemed too engrossed in his college application to even notice that she was on the edge, but she knew that if she called Jeff, he'd notice right away and help her.

But she didn't call him. Maybe because she didn't want anyone's help.


	3. It Could Be Nicer Being Colorful

**A/N: **Thank you Tyra for reviewing the last chapter! And I gotta admit, I was playing with the Skanks scenario for a while now and thanks to you I wrote them in! Kind of, I mean. Maybe I'll write some prequels to this. And now, yay for Warblers! I mean, I couldn't not include them at some point.

* * *

_It Could Be Nicer Being (...) Colorful_

* * *

Halloween was always Mary's favorite holiday. She could dress up as anything she wanted and finally people wouldn't stare at her because she looked weird.

This year she was joining Kurt, Blaine and the Warblers on their traditional matching costumes trick-or-treating, the theme being Alice In Wonderland. She booked the Red Queen as soon as she could, beating Trent to it, who instead settled on the White Queen. Kurt and Blaine made an odd couple, walking hand-in-hand as Alice and White Rabbit. They were supposed to meet at David's, the Mad Hatter's, house around 7 pm.

Mary knew it would be awkward, considering that she broke up with Jeff just two months prior, but it wasn't like they couldn't be friends again. They were. She just had to break the ice so they could jump back into their friendship-routine.

It wasn't a shock for her when the front doors of David's house were opened by Wes in his March Hare gear. Even though he graduated Dalton, he was still around Warblers from time to time, which was a great thing considering how random those boys were.

"Some guy transferred recently" Wes sighed. "He's a total jerk."

"Hello to you too" Mary rolled her eyes. "He's here?"

"Thank God, no" Wes stepped aside, letting them in. "He announced that, and I quote, he was 'going to find some hot piece of ass at the Scandal's Halloween party' and was 'above the childish bullshit that trick-or-treating is'."

"You're right" Marlo glanced at Klaine, both of the boys too lost in each others' eyes to pay attention to their surroundings, causing Blaine to walk into a wall. "Total jerk. Anyone else here?"

"Just David and Niff."

_Fuck_.

"Cool."

They walked into living room, Blaine still clutching his head and Kurt cooing at him with his best concerned-boyfriend voice, where Nick and Jeff were playing tag in their Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum costumes, running around the huge couch David sat on, toying with his enormous hat.

Nick ran over to Kurt and Blaine, with Jeff in his tow.

"Klaine! My precious boys!" Nick tackled the two of them, laughing.

"How are your cute gay babies? Who's caring them? Blainey?" Jeff pocked Blaine's stomach. "I don't think they're making them yet, Nickie. I can't feel a thing!"

"Dammit, guys! When do you plan on giving us the joy of being uncles?"

So yeah, maybe Niff and her bonded over their mutual Klaine feels. They worked together to get them together since the beginning and now, almost a year later, they still waited for them to procreate.

Jeff finally seemed to notice her and smiled warmly, making all the awkwardness between the two of them melt.

They were okay once again.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Trent twirled around, his dress raising a bit, white silk sparkling in the light. "Isn't it a little.. Over the top?"

"Trent Warbler, if you pull off that dress, I'm going to wear it" Wes rolled his eyes.

"You'll have to kill me first. I'm totally calling dibs on this one" Marlo chuckled.

"Where did you get this beauty?" David cocked his head. "Katherine is looking for her prom dress already, so I'll have to help her with it sooner or later."

"Kurt made it" Trent shrugged.

"You make a fabulous White Queen" Kurt adjusted the material on Trent's shoulder. "Where is Knave?"

"Beatbox, come over here, Kurt wants you!" Marlo shouted across her shoulder at the group of boys talking in the corner.

"Tell him I'm flattered, but I don't want Rabbit over there to get jealous!"

"You're so funny, Jon" Kurt rolled his eyes. "I have the eye patch you wanted."

"Cool!"

Beatbox, unlike the others, went with the Tim Burton's version of his character. Seeing the dark version of Knave in between Disney-inspired, bright and colorful like pride parade costumes was kind of amusing.

Thad, the Caterpillar, clapped his hands.

"Warblers-"

"Hey, what about me?"

"-and Marlo-"

"That's better."

"-check if you have everything and let's get going, guys! I want to beat my record this year! I can't really collect two pounds of sweets if we won't get out of here now!"

Marlo rolled her eyes, took the eye patch from Kurt and snapped it on Beatbox's head. She chuckled, messing up his hair when he pouted.

"That hurt."

"Yeah, well, let's get our asses out of here before Thad takes Wes' gavel."  
"B-but…" Wes started to whine. "But no one takes my gavel."

"We know, Wes" David rolled his eyes. "No one plans to touch it, anyway. Considering the fact that she's your girlfriend, no one wants to, anyway."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Okay, let's move" Blaine took Kurt's hand and walked straight in between Wevid.

Mary sighed, hooking her arm over Beatbox's and threatening the boys with cutting their heads off.

Yeah, Halloween was definitely her thing.

* * *

November started with another gossip bomb at McKinley. Apparently an exchange student from Ireland finally arrived after some problems with his visa. People speculated that he was a Mafioso or drug dealer. Marlo, unlike half the Lima population apparently, knew that getting a visa was a pain in the ass.

"I heard he's going to live with Brittany" Kurt snapped his locker's door shut, leaning against them. "I already feel bad for him."

"I know what you're saying" Marlo sighed. "Brittany's as dumb as a fucking duck. Maybe dumber. Yesterday she asked me if Teletubbies were real. This kid is screwed."

Kurt agreed with her before changing the topic to his campaign and starting to walk. As much as Mary rutted for her brother, she wasn't really for the listening about it part. The drive towards politics gene the Hummel men possessed was clearly missing in her DNA.

"…and then I'm going to get a pony and fly on it over the rainbow to check if blue birds really fly there."

"What?"

"Just checking if you're listening to me. As always, the answer's no."

"Oh come on!" Marlo turned around, walking backwards so she could face Kurt. "Right now, you have three main topics you talk about. NYADA, the election and your boy toy. And for your information, I listen to you when you talk about Blaine, his eyes and ability to play almost every instrument known to the mankind."

"Oh come on, as if you weren't gushing about Sam and Jeff when you dated them" Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, for the first week" Marlo rolled her own eyes, turning around and hooking her arm over his. "I've never even see you two argue over something more important than colors of the matching boutonnieres you're gonna have for your wedding."

"I won't let Blaine ruin our wedding pictures with _pink, _dear sister of mine."

"Anyway, the thing I want to say to you is not really optimistic, but is, in turn, realistic" Mary let go of her brother and turned the corner, shouting over her shoulder. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

* * *

She remembered her first day at McKinley high. She was still pretty normal back then: no pink in her hair, no alcohol in her system, her hymen still intact. She came in with a clear record, the only thing out of ordinary was her deep frown. She had no outlet for her creativity, nothing to make her feel worth a while, or just make her _feel_. And then she met the Skanks.

Skanks were pretty crazy. The Mack, their leader, was extremely intimidating for a held back fifteen year old, and she had an impressive collection of hickeys on her neck. She was actually the one who talked Mary into joining them. Marlo never really got out of her _why _she did that, but she was grateful. Thanks to that, she found her way to cope with everything and it seemed that it was working for almost two years.

Sheila was actually the one who told her to always keep something sharp enough to stab people in her bra. Mary found that advice helpful – you never know when you'll need a sharp object.

It was why she was stalking the new kid. Totally why. There was nothing else to explain why she did that, really. It's not like he caught her eye with his green clothes, which stood out among the red lockers. It's not like his accent was a total turn on for her. She just wanted to check if he was going to be alright, seeing as Brittany was too dumb for that. And apparently she thought he was a leprechaun. Maybe the fact that this Flanagan kid knew how to use it for his advantage was a proof enough that he was going to be alright.

Okay, she was lying. He was cute and she was horny. It was bound to happen sometime. The fact that she lived for a year now without having sex was remarkable.

It didn't really justify the fact that she was stalking a sophomore, but still.

"What are you doing?"

Marlo jumped, turning around and blushing – _blushing_ – furiously.

"Nothing, Kurt. What are you doing here?"

"You should tell me, seeing as you're blocking the access to _my _locker."

Mary looked up and yep, she was leaning against her brother's locker and she didn't even notice. That meant something, she just wasn't exactly sure what.

"Oh, sorry."

"Anyway" Kurt shoved her out of the way and started to fight with his lock. "Can you tell me why exactly were you staring at the boy dressed like he wants to become a frog?"

"I-I'm not _staring_ at him" She turned her head over her shoulder and cocked it to the side. _Damn he's got a nice butt._ "I'd call it-"

"Stalking?"

"Shut up Mr. I'll-get-our-parents-to-date-just-to-get-to-room-w ith-you!"

"Like you're the one to talk Miss I'll-drive-over-to-your-school-and-pretend-I-did-i t-to-threaten-my-brother's-boyfriend-just-to-talk- to-you-for-a-minute!"

"Okay, we're both pretty stalker-ish" She raised her hands in defeat. "But you have to admit, he's pretty good-looking for a sophomore."

"And you're pretty old for stalking sophomores."

"Do I have to remind you that you were stalking _two _sophomores last year?"

"Yeah, but I was a junior back then. It wasn't nearly as weird."

"I can see your point" Mary nodded, smirking. "Anyway, I'm horny. It justifies my weird obsession with cute guys."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey."

* * *

Cornering guy at school wasn't something she was proud of. But she heard him sing later and Shuester was grilling their butts to find another member after Mercedes quit New Directions because of his assholeness. And it totally wasn't _his _fault.

Anyway, Rory Flanagan was an excellent singer. A really, really excellent one. Like, Kurt level good. _So_ it was totally reasonable to talk to him about glee club.

"Hi."

The boy turned around, pinning his body to lockers as if he waited for her to do that.

"Wow, never thought I'll have you at my mercy this fast. Dammit, we haven't even exchanged our numbers yet, Ireland."

He seemed to froze at her comment. It was rather unnerving.

"I'm not here to bully you, new kid. Don't worry, I don't make fun of cuties."

Still, no response.

"Anyway…" Marlo giggled nervously. Oh God, it was awkward. "I just wanted to say that if you're interested in maybe making some friends, you should join the glee club, New Directions. I heard you sing earlier and you're good."

"T-Thanks" Wow, his accent was capital "H" hot.

"We have a meeting after school today" She sent him her flirty smile and slipped a piece of paper with her number in between his fingers. "If you want to know anything more about glee, just call me."

And she turned around, adding a bonus sway in her hips just to make sure it'd make Rory notice her short skirt.

She was horny, after all.


	4. I Don't Know You But I Want You

**A/N: **Obviously, I don't own glee, Charlie's Angels, A Girl Like You or Falling Slowly. They belong to their respective owners (RIB, whoever made Charlie's Angels, Edwyn Collins and Once). Rory sings in _italics_ in this one.

**Warning****: **Typical glee singing-while-the-world-around-me-stops singing scene with Rory and Falling Slowly (you should check out Damian McGinty's version. It's gold). Plus a lot of Charlie's Angels at the end and a bit of Natalie bashing. Sorry in advance.

* * *

_I Don't Know You But I Want You_

* * *

Mary may have or may have not waited in front of the choir room for Rory to show up.

It wasn't like he told her he will, so she could just blame it all on her love for glee club.

"H-Hi."

There he was. Rory Flanagan in all his glory and shyness. It was adorable, really, to see a guy so flustered in her presence. She missed it.

"Hey, you ready?" She winked, tugging on his wrist. "Come on, you won't believe how many weirdoes we've got here!"

Marlo smirked at the New Directions, announcing that she found a great replacement for the missing girls.

"Does that kid even know how to sing?" Quinn was clearly sure that Mary Hummel was an idiot and didn't even know the first thing about glee club – you were there to sing and dance.

And really, Quinn was slowly starting to piss her off. She went crazy after Nationals and spent the summer hanging out with the Skanks. It's not that Mary was jealous or angry that they replaced her – she just thought that after the whole baby drama Quinn knew better than to hang out with McKinley's badasses. If Marlo grew out of being an angry teenager before Quinn, then something was clearly off.

And, alright, Mary never given up a baby and, thank god, she wasn't pregnant yet, but it didn't mean she had no idea what Quinn was going through. Okay, she could admit that after she lost her mother she was living only for her father and Kurt and then when she got to High School she did exactly what Quinn did this summer – became a delinquent. But Mary was still a child then, and it's not like she sought out the Skanks. Mack was just seeking a kid who got well off parents and could sneak out some booze from the house without anyone noticing.

"I prepared something" Rory was awkwardly stomping from one foot to the other and Marlo forced herself to sit down and enjoy the show without throwing a Rachel-Berry-worthy tantrum. "I'd like to dedicate this song to my family back in Ireland."

And _God _this kid was sappy and why did it make him even cuter?

When the first notes of the song came out of Rory's mouth she was stunned. Okay, he sounded great when she listened to him sing before, but this was something else. That first time was meant only for his ears – this was a practiced performance and God, she didn't know which kind of Rory's singing she liked more – the one he did for fun, or the one he did when he wanted to show off.

And then the Irish kid started to sing in falsetto and she could feel something squirm in her stomach, a steady rhythm pulsing her insides and god, it really felt like butterflies lived there only to be awaken by this magical voice. Last time she felt like that was… When was it again?

She ignored her show choir's stunned expressions, Rachel's wide smile and her brother's jealousy. She just sat there and listened and dammit she never found herself liking a guy this much as quickly.

* * *

Rory Flanagan came to United States with a wide smile and naive belief that it's going to be easier to find friends than in Ireland. Turns out that he was still as socially awkward as before.

He leaned back a bit, glancing from behind his locker's open doors and _yes _there she was.

She was standing next to her brother and his boyfriend, laughing and talking excitedly about something, her hair in a ponytail, exposing her long, pale neck. He wanted to take the hair band off and run his finger through the blonde and pink strands. He had to talk himself out of it before he made a fool of himself.

Truth to be told, he liked Mary Hummel. Like-liked her. She was intelligent and snarky and sarcastic and sometimes even mean, but it just meant that she could stand up for herself if needed. He liked that. Some of the girls he "dated" back in Ireland expected him to defend their honor after they bad mouthed the popular girls and then their jock boyfriends would come in the picture and Rory was a rather skinny fifteen year old so it never ended prettily.

And it's not like Marlo wasn't attractive – she knew she was attractive, the tight clothes she wore only proving that. Plus, she had really, _really _pretty eyes, that seemed even brighter than they were, thanks to the dark make-up. And really, he never even knew he found punk-rock chicks hot.

_I don't know you__  
__But I want you__  
__All the more for that_

He smiled a bit when he noticed her looking back at him and smiling back.

_Words fall through me__  
__And always fool me__  
__And I can't react_

Kurt must have asked her to come with them somewhere, because she gave him a small wave and trailed after the two boys. His smile only grew.

_And games that never amount__  
__To more than they're meant__  
__Will play themselves out_

And really, it's not that Rory was an idiot. He knew that she was experienced – he heard it in the locker room, the guys bragging about their ungentlemanly ways and one of them, clearly held back couple of times, graphically describing the whole encounter. And while Rory tried really hard not to listen about it, he couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that while he was still a brushing virgin, she had _years _of experience.

_Take this sinking boat and point it home__  
__We've still got time__  
__Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice__  
__You'll make it now_

It made him kind of self-conscious, but it didn't change how badly he wanted to ask her out. And from what he heard, she stopped putting out at the beginning of last year. And from what he heard from the little snippets of conversations he heard in glee, she had her reasons to even start engaging in sexual activities. He may have a chance with her without seeming like a complete fool.

_Falling slowly, eyes that know me__  
__And I can't go back__  
__Moods that take me and erase me__  
__And I'm painted black__  
__You have suffered enough__  
__And warred with yourself__  
__It's time that you won__  
_

And, okay, maybe he could picture himself falling for this girl in the future, if she turned out to be who he thought she was. He really hoped that he won't be disappointed. She seemed great for now.

_Take this sinking boat and point it home__  
__We've still got time__  
__Raise your hopeful voice you have a choice __  
__You've made it now__  
__Falling slowly sing your melody __I'll sing it loud_

* * *

Although the whole glee club was a bit wary of Rory at first (the fact that Quinn had suspected her of bringing a kid who couldn't sing to glee was at least annoying) he seemed to find a good companion in Blaine. But that's maybe because Blaine was friendly towards everyone.

Still, she felt responsible for the kid. It's not like Brittany was a bad host – she was just, well, _Brittany_. He should have at least two friends already, not a group of people that didn't pay him any attention.

That's why she came up to him and asked him to come over on Thursday to make cupcakes for Artie's West Side Story Premiere Afterparty. Breadstix sucked when it came to cupcakes.

And it totally wasn't a date. It was just a friendly meet up to make some baked goods. Totally not a date.

"So, how's your Puerto Rican accent?" Mary asked him, cracking some eggs into a bowl.

"It sucks" Rory shrugged, reading the recipe over and over again. "But that's maybe because according to you Americans I _already_ have an accent."

"Hey, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself" She shoved him playfully with her shoulder. "Besides, girls _love _guys with accents."

"If they understand what they're saying" Rory gave her a sad smile. "You're one of the few people who can actually talk with me without constantly asking me what I'm saying."

"Well, I'm just awesome like that" Mary scooped some of the eggs on her finger and poked his nose with it. "You should watch and learn, kiddo"

"Hey! I'm only two years younger than you!" He took a handful of flour and threw it in her hair.

"Oh, you're going to regret this!"

Needless to say, this little banter turned into a full on food fight. But it's not like it wasn't predictable.

Suddenly Marlo found herself pressed against the counter with a bag of flour tipped over her head and laughing (and covered in eggs) Rory mere inches in front of her. If the scene wasn't already cliché, the kiss that followed sure was.

And _okay _the last kiss she shared with a boy happened what, three months ago? It sure felt like eternity since she had someone else's lips on her own.

Wait, she was kissing a sophomore exchange student.

She quickly pushed Rory back, her eyes wide.

"Fuck" She started to pace, her hands clasped behind her back. "Fuck, I kissed a fucking exchange student. A fucking sophomore. And OMG what if it's his first kiss. OMG I can't take someone's first kiss! Oh shit, I'm in trouble."

"Marlo-"

"And I shouldn't even be kissing anyone in the first place. Kissing leads to sex and sex leads to trouble and that's something I already established. Dammit, I can't even be in a relationship, I suck at being someone's girlfriend, you can call Jeff and Sam, they'll surely agree."

"Mary-"

"Oh fuck, Kurt is right, I'm a fucking stalker and pervert, he's barely out of Middle School!"

"Hey" Rory put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her pacing. "One, it's cool. I've kissed girls before, don't worry. Two, wow. Don't worry about sex, really, I mean, we barely know each other and you know… Anyway. Three, what do you say. We go out for a date and… You know, see if it clicks?" He smiled shyly and God, if it wasn't the cutest thing ever.

* * *

Marlo sent Rory home with a container full of cupcakes, red, swollen lips and messy hair. But still, she had given herself a pat on the back. At least she didn't jump and had her way with this Irish boy. She called that progress.

Maybe this whole thing won't blow up in her face.

Maybe.

* * *

When Mary got to Artie's afterparty, she couldn't find Blaine and Kurt. Thankfully she couldn't find Rachel either, so it wasn't so bad.

"Hi."

Marlo turned around and smiled widely. Rory was looking kind of shy, his blue eyes looking everywhere but never reaching hers.

It was cute.

"Hi" She chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a quick hug. "Congratulations. Your accent was better than yesterday!"

"That's not saying much. It still sucks."

They laughed, the air no longer cracking with tension.

"I'm sure you'll get better at it after some time" Mary twirled her hair around her finger. "I mean, you started rehearsing a week ago. The rest of the cast was there for a month now, and you're not bad for a newbie."

"Thanks" He shrugged, his hands in his pockets.

Okay, it was awkward once again.

"So" Rory looked down on her, his smile a bit shy and it was probably the cutest thing she'd ever seen. "About this date…"

"I vote tomorrow" She giggled, not caring how eager she seemed. "You know, you're a pretty decent kisser. And your kisses are addictive."

Rory turned red and laughed a bit.

"Okay, I've got to say, I've never met a girl like you before."

"Okay, are you quoting Edwyn Collins' song lyrics right now or was this just a coincidence?" Marlo raised her eyebrow, before shaking her head with a laugh. "Sorry, I'm just addicted to Charlie's Angels."

"I've- I've never seen Charlie's Angels before."

"Really? Okay, now I have a great idea for our date tomorrow night."

* * *

"Alex is the best."

"No way, I vote Dylan! She's a total badass!"

"Yeah, but Alex's got the brains!"

"Are we seriously fighting over which Angel is the best?"

"At least we agree that Natalie sucks."

"Yeah, too cheery for a private investigator. But I liked her Spider-Man panties."

"_GOD_, I thought that I'm the guy here."

"Yeah, but I'm the pervert in our relationship. And you have to admit that one of the reasons you like Alex is cause she always wears tight clothes."

They laughed, the credits of Full Throttle rolling on the screen and Marlo had to admit, she rarely had that much fun anymore.

"I'll admit, tight clothes are a bonus" He nodded, blushing. "But still, she's intelligent. Intelligence is sexy."

"My my, what a gentleman" She popped some popcorn into her mouth, chewing. "You rarely find a guy who's serious about that. Believe me, I tried."

"That's cause the guys you talk about are American" He chuckled. "Gentlemen here are either not-so-straight or really religious."

"From what I've heard, you're Catholic."

"Okay, you got me" He raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling.

Mary cocked her head to the side, thoughtful.

"Why are you so shy at McKinley? You're a funny guy."

"Just… I'm comfortable here" His eyes seemed glued to the floor. "You make me comfortable."

"That's- Really, how many girlfriends have you had before? You're awfully good at making me blush and I rarely blush around guys anymore."

"Two" He admitted, blushing. "Three if you count the one in kindergarten."

"You don't have to be so shy, you've got more experience than me" She scooted over to him, smiling shyly. "I've never had a girlfriend."

The both of them burst into laughter.


	5. I'll Get Right Back On My Feet Again

**A/N: **Thanks for reading, following, reviewing and/or favoriting this story! I love love love love you all! The title for this chapter's from Pat Benatar's Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I don't own glee or that song, sadly.

* * *

_I'll Get Right Back On My Feet Again_

* * *

"So, you two are dating now?"

"Yep."

"And you actually haven't slept with him yet?"

"Yep."

"And you are one hundred percent sure that you want to date a guy you might never see after your senior year?"

"Yep."

"You're crazy."

"Says the guy who dates a gel-addicted hobbit."

* * *

"Okay, you two" Said Marlo, gripping Klaine's shoulders. She had to talk to them about something before they disappeared in Kurt's room again. "Take a seat and calm down for a bit."

"What is going on?" Kurt raised his eyebrow, staring Mary up and down.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you about the fact that I had to cover for you when I got back home after Artie's party and you weren't there" She cocked her head to the side. "So you two owe me. Now, what were you doing?"

"Nothing, Marlo, we were just watching Moulin Rouge" Kurt shrugged. Thank God, Blaine wasn't such a great actor under pressure.

"Stop lying, brother dear, your boyfriend's face's got guilt written all over it!" Mary turned towards Blaine, her hands on the armrests of his chair. "Now tell me, what were you doing?"

"N-Nothing."  
"Stop lying through your teeth, Blaine! Now tell me!"  
"_WE HAD SEX OKAY_!"

"_Blaine!_" Kurt gasped, facepalming.  
"I'm sorry, honey, but she's bat-shit crazy!"

"I resent that! I'm just fucking crazy!"

"Come on, sweetie, we're going to my room."  
The boys got up and started to make their way towards the stairs.

"_KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS UNTIL I'M OUT OF HERE AND ON MY DATE WITH RORY, GOT IT_?!"

* * *

The dark sky was full of stars, the bright light of the moon leaving a bluish glow on the surrounding trees. Mary smiled at Rory, taking in the look of awe on his face, their hands clasped together with their fingers interlaced, their shoulders only inches apart.

"You can't really see stars in Dublin, you know" He said, turning his head towards her. "The city lights are too bright."

"So you're from the Republic?"

"That's actually the first time since I got here that anyone pointed out that there are technically two Irelands."

"Well, let's say, McKinley's not the best school in Ohio."

"I know. Someone told me to go back to Mexico yesterday."  
They laughed for a while, both turning their stares back to the sky. She had to say, she preferred the stargazing and eating BLT and PBJ sandwiches than the typical Breadstix and a movie dates the glee girls liked so much. But that's maybe because she hated breadsticks.

They were silent, slowly gravitating towards each other, until their sides were touching and Mary rested her head on the crook of Rory's neck, humming in contentment. She never really let herself enjoy the closeness of a boy's body without the sexual context. And really, she was more than okay with just staying like that for a while.

Turns out, the world had other plans.

Her alarm went off, reminding her that she indeed had a curfew. She took out her phone, groaning when she saw all the missed calls from her brother.

"God, Kurt's such a drama queen" She sighed, sitting up. "It's not like he doesn't know it's me who stole his car."

She jumped off the roof of her brother's Navigator, her feet hitting the grass with a soft thump. Rory awkwardly slid off.

"Maybe you should have told him you're borrowing it" He offered her his hand once again, a crooked smile on his face. "Or, you know, at least leave a note next time."

"I might text him hour later, if it's going to make you happy" She rolled her eyes, tugging him towards her. "Right now I have better things to do."

She kissed him softly, standing on her tip-toes to reach his lips. She liked those three inches between them. Whenever they wanted to kiss she either had to try to make herself as tall as she could or Rory had to lean down a bit. Every time he did that she felt like she was surrounded by a big cocoon of warmth and awesome smelling goodness that Rory was. It was exhilarating.

"Come on" She took a step back, slipping away from his arms and opening the driver's side doors. "I'll let you drive me to your house before I have to burst your bubble of perfect date."

"You mean typical date" Rory pointed out, opening the passenger's side doors for her. "Typical dinner and a movie date when the guy drives the girl back home. You know what?" He closed the door and ran over to his side, slipping in. "Typical dates are boring. Our dates are the perfect ones."

Marlo had to find some more flaws in that boy. She shouldn't get attached to a guy who she'll date for three months tops.

* * *

She tried. She really fucking tried to be the Switzerland in this one. To be the common ground between Troubletones and New Directions. It's not like she ever had anything against any of the girls in the new glee club, actually she kind of started to like Mercedes a bit.

But this, _this was fucking too much._

They started a freaking _glee club war_. And were did the promises of eternity and friends forever go? Up their fucking asses, just like Mary knew they would.

And really, it served them right. They were the dumb and trusting ones. Marlo had seen enough backstabbing to know not to trust emotionally fragile, angsty teenager with their sick ambitions _(*cough*Rachel Berry*cough*_) or grown ups who couldn't just simply let go of the past and realize it was time to be a fucking adult (*_cough*William Shuester*cough*)_.

But this. This was-

"Outrageous" Kurt huffed, pulling at his shorts. "I can't believe Finn challenged Troubletones to a game of dodgeball" Her brother checked himself over in her pocket mirror before dropping it back to her bag. "It's barbaric."

They were standing outside boy's locker room. Kurt still hadn't step inside since the incident with Karofsky.

"At least we're all gonna blow off some steam" Mary knocked on the door, yelling at the boys to hurry up. "I mean, I'm nervous because of all this election crap you and dad seem to love getting invested in."

"Oh come on" Kurt rolled his eyes. "It'll help me get into NYADA if I win."

"I know" She shuffled towards her twin. "It's just, not that I don't have faith in you but this school-"

"I know how it is, Mary."

"Just… Maybe apply to Parsons and NYU too? I mean, there's nothing wrong in having a back-up plan-"

The doors opened revealing beaming Blaine leading a group of pumped teenage boys out of the locker-room. Marlo appreciated what those short did for her boyfriends ass.

What? It's not like she wasn't _allowed _to look. Actually, it was her privilege.

"So, you ready boys?"

"As we'll ever be" Mike rushed past her, wrapping his arms around Tina and shoving his tongue down her throat.

"Okay, New Directions, to the gymnasium!" Finn pointed towards the doors, most of the people simply ignoring him.

* * *

The game was pretty bad, if she had a say in the matter. Like, they were getting beaten up by seven girls while there were eleven of them, three of which were freaking football players. That meant they simply sucked.

And okay, she may have taken a ball to her tits. And it hurt like freaking hell. Seriously, if that's how guys' balls hurt when the get kicked in between their legs, she felt bad for them.

But at least Blaine was heaving the time of his life running around and doing flips. God, she could swear he was five.

Rory got off the game a bit later, a red mark on his cheek from the ball hitting him a bit hard.

"Brittany did a backflip and then fired two balls at me. One after the other. And they hit the same spot."

"My poor hero" Marlo giggled, kissing his cheek and nuzzling her nose into his shoulder, sighing. "Damn, I wish the game was already over."  
"There're only Finn and Santana left" Kurt pointed out, readjusting his headband.  
"_WHAT_?" Mary raised her head a bit fast, the crown of her head hitting Rory's jaw. "Auch, sorry honey- Why is Finn still there? I mean, he's like a fucking tree – No, even trees move more gracefully than him."

"Trees don't move."

"That's the point."

When Santana's ball hit Finn's face Mary could swear it was in slow motion. It seemed like except of her only the Troubletones appreciated that. What a shame.

Rory got up from his place next to sitting Marlo and made his way towards celebrating Troubletones.

"What are you doing?" Rachel hissed towards him, clearly a sore loser. Mary thought it was good to lose once in a while. Especially when it applied to Rachel Berry.

"He's being a decent human being" She smiled, watching her boyfriend congratulate Troubletones on their win. Her smile vanished as soon as she saw the first ball fly towards him. She shot up, hot on her twin's heels. "Unlike others. _Hey bitch, leave him alone_!"

Kurt was already yelling at the girls, his face turning ten times redder than before with anger and that was one of the things they had in common, pale complexion. Normally she'd be concerned about how much her face showed her emotions without her control, but this time was different. This time Marlo wasn't the one hurt by people, it was a person she cared about. And God, last time she felt that way was during the Karofsky horror last year.

She grabbed Kurt's arm and he sure _felt it_ the rage and the need to throw a fit because that _wasn't right_.

"Oh, right, go ahead _lady-boy _and leave it all to your big sister – _bet she topped more-_"

Marlo cut Santana off with a slap, and she could hear everyone gasp.

"Listen up, Lopez" She growled, her eyes shinning with anger. "It's one thing to throw little balls at my team. Cause yeah, I couldn't care less about some of those fuckers" She took a step towards her, and it felt good to note that she was taller than the Latina. "But it's _entirely _a different think to intentionally hurt anyone connected to me on an emotional level" She smiled, tilting her head to the side. "I don't _care _what you think of yourself. As much as you want to be intimidating, you're just really bad at interacting with people. And if you think that you can insult my brother or hurt my boyfriend – you're wrong" She blinked a couple of times and the smile returned to her face. She was whispering now, her words only for Santana to hear. "The fact that you're too scared to admit your feeling to someone does not make you the center of the universe. You're just a little person who's going to stay in this cowtown in an unhappy marriage and with kids because you're too scared, working at a grocery shop because you didn't even bother to go to college – and you know what?' A frown crept it's way on Marlo's face. "You're a fucking _coward_."

She felt something connect with her face and suddenly there were arms around her waist and holding her arms to her body, someone's hands catching her ankles before they kicked their chin. And she should have really expected that Finn and Blaine would grab her, while Puck and Mike dragged Santana away from her. It was the kind of shit these boys did.

"Let me at least leave a scar on those airbags of hers!" She yelled, struggling against their grips. "She wants attention to be focused on her tits?! _Now she's got it_!"

"Leave it, Marlo" Blaine gripped her ankles harder, keeping her off the ground. "It's not worth-"

"If you're implying that our boyfriends are not _worth _scratching her eyes out, I'm officially disowning you."

"She's not worth you getting into trouble" Finn started to make his way towards the doors, Blaine looking over his shoulder to prevent tripping. "_Again._"

"I fu-"

"Think about Burt's face when Figgins'd call him and say that you're suspended."

"Think it's a wise decision. Now put me down so I can go see my boyfriend."

They put her down, but Finn still had an iron grip on her shoulder. He knew her too well.

Kurt was standing outside nurse's office, his lips forming a tight line and arms around his body. Blaine sped off towards him, wrapping his arms around Kurt's neck and giving him a quick hug.

"The nurse is calling his parents" Kurt swallowed. "He's just got a bloody nose but there was a lot of blood so I-I thought it was broken."

"Thank God he's okay" Mary sighed.

"I can't believe they'd-"

"Get used to it Kurt" She hissed and Finn's hand tightened it's grip. "They're a bunch of fucking _bullies_ who think that they can get away with everything but newsflash – _not this time_" Her hands fisted the material of her shorts. "If I get my hands on Santana-"

The doors opened and Rory holding a small ice pack to his nose came out of the office. Marlo impulsively wrapped her arms around him, tugging her shoulder out of her brother's grip and buried her face in his neck.

"God, you'd think they shoot me or something…"

"Shut up" She sighed into his neck and God, she was such cliche. And for the first time in her life she didn't give damn about it.


	6. I Could Kid Myself That I'm Fine

**A/N: **Hi guys! So my internet's dead since Tuesday and will be until Wednesday, but look at that, I managed to upload this chapter on time! The title's form Panic! At The Disco's Always. As always, thank you so much for the feedback - you guys are awesome!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee, Always or TMNT.

* * *

_I Could Kid Myself (...) That I'm Fine_

* * *

Life is crazy. One minute you're hugging your bleeding Irish boyfriend, another you're awkwardly squished on the couch between your brothers, talking with your parents about said boyfriend.

"So he's from Europe?" Carole smiled warmly, encouraging her to share everything with them.

There's no way she was doing that.

"Republic of Ireland" Mary cleared her throat, shifting her body and trying to sink into the couch.

"And he's a senior too?" Her father was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of Marlo dating anyone, especially since she confessed to him about her… licentious years.

"No, he's a-a sophomore" Kurt gripped her wrist, his thumb rubbing comforting circles around the delicate bone.

"Is he, you know, pre-"

"Dad, stop" Kurt shot him a warning look, his grip tightening. "Rory's a perfect gentleman. He's a real sweetheart too. I'm more worried about Mary corrupting him."

"That's, like, totally true Burt" Finn was taking half the couch with his giant body, trapping the twins in the corner uncomfortably close to each other. As much as Mary loved her twin brother, she didn't want his elbows near her boobs. "Marlo's like, the most badass girl I know! And when she slapped Santana-"

"I think that's enough Finn" The girl snapped at him, hitting his arm.

"You slapped Santana?" Burt raised his eyebrow, his expression unreadable. Dammit, that was the kind of look Kurt gave her most of the time.

"Dammit Finn!" Kurt hissed at their step-brother, his eyes showing his anger and disappointment caused by Finn's big mouth.

"She and her good for nothing glee club attacked Rory – he ended up bleeding, you know?" She _forgot_ to mention that it was only a nose bleed caused by dozen of balls. "And then she insulted Kurt and you know how we Hudmels get."

"Yeah" her dad wasn't proud of his confrontation with Karofsky last year. He cleared his throat and looked at Kurt. "So how are you and Blaine?"

"We're great" Kurt looked down at his lap, his cheeks turning red. "We-we are talking about New York and his senior year, you know – living arrangements when he'll come and all this stuff."  
"Have you heard anything from NYADA yet?" asked Carole.

"No but" Kurt stole a glance at his sister, smiling shyly. "But I've followed Mary's advice and applied to Parsons for Fashion Design. You know, if NYADA isn't an… available option."

Marlo could hear her father breath a sigh of relief. It wasn't that they weren't sure that Kurt was good enough – he _was_ – they were just a bit concerned if NYADA didn't recognize his talent for what it was – one in a million, extraordinary.

"That's a sensible thing to do" Carole nodded with a smile on her face, before turning to Finn. "How's Rachel?"

"Awesome."

"So you two are good?"

"Awesome."

"Okay."

Marlo was in awe of how Finn was let off the hook so easily, but then again, for Finn everything was either awesome or not.

* * *

"So what did your parents say?" Marlo looked up at Rory, her back resting against a tree. They were in the park, safe from the cold November wind thanks to the huge chestnut tree they were sitting under.

"Just that I should stay away from dodge ball" He chuckled, his arms wrapping around her waist. "For at least the next century. I suck at it, so I might take their advice to heart."

"Shut up" She giggled, smacking his chest with her hand. She shivered, the cool air stinging the skin of her exposed forearms and legs. She should have known better than wear a skirt and jacket with elbow-length sleeves.

"I'm supposed to be the younger and you know, dumber one here" Rory shook his head, tugging her towards him. She bent her legs and wrapped her arms around them, burring her face in his neck. "I think you're old enough to know how to properly dress yourself."

"You're not a girl. You don't know how much commitment goes into a girl's appearance" She whined, looking at him from under her eyelashes. "Guys look good in jeans and T-shirts. I look good in short skirts, tops and skintight jeans. That means I look good in clothes that show a lot of skin. I mean, the only way to make guys notice me is walk around half naked. And you have to admit, that must have been the number one reason why you started dating me."

"That's a lie" Rory shifted back and looked her right in the eyes, a soft smile on his lips. "I like for your humor. Your attitude. Your protectiveness over your brother – and, as you proved last week, over me. Your way of… I don't know. Living?" He shook his head. "You were so panicked when we kissed. I mean, you wanted to focus on figuring out yourself before you started to date again. That's a mature thing to do."

"But I failed" She chuckled, looking down. "I'm just as confused as I was."

"Maybe" Rory kissed her forehead, brushing her hair back. "But, maybe – if you let me, of course – I'll help you with that."

"You know what? You're sixteen" She looked at him with amused smile on her face, crinkling her nose. "How come you're so… Wise."

"I'm not wise" He laughed, hugging her. "I'm just good at reading you."

"You're a first. Except Kurt of course."

"Kurt's your twin brother. There's some kind of weird mental bond between the two of you, so shut up, that's not true, he doesn't count. I'm just awesome."

* * *

"Okay guys, we've got to prepare a mash up for the mash off" Shue sat down on his stool, folding his hands in his lap. "Any ideas, considering that I'm an idiot and don't have any of my own?"

"I vote for some rock ballad" Finn's smile was as goofy as always.

"I prepared a Barbra Streisand and Wicked mash up to show off our greatest, brightest star – myself" Rachel clutched her hand to her chest, sighing.

"I vote not listening to Berry and going with some rock" Puck smirked, kicking his legs up and resting them on the back of Rachel's chair.

"I second that statement" Marlo fistbumped Puck, already discussing song choices with him.

"Mr. Shue, if I may?" Kurt raised his hand. "I'd like to sing something from Broadway."  
"Kurt. Ice Cream. Love. Puppies. Rainbow. Kurt. Gay sex." Answered Blaine, bouncing in his seat.

"I'd like to showcase my utter craziness by mash up of Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse" Quinn flipped back her short, blonde hair.

"." Tina shared her views on the matter.

"I just want to dance" Mike shrugged, smiling.

"Marlo, hey, Marlo" Rory shook her shoulder. "You got to wake up."

"But I'm not asleep" She cocked her head to the side, smiling widely.

"Marlo, come on, wake up."

The girl opened her eyes, looking around her. Oh, she fell asleep somewhere in between Rachel and Quinn fighting about something. Pretty normal.

"Oh, Rory, why did you do that?" She poked her lower lip out, pouting at her boyfriend. "My dream was so accurate to what is happening right now that I shouldn't even be here because I already know that we won't get any work done."

"That's… Probably true" He admitted, sighing. "Is it always like this when it gets to the songs?"

"It's even worse sometimes" She snuggled to his chest, watching her brother whisper dirty things into his boyfriend's ear. "This year Kurt and Rachel are friends so they're not fighting over solos now. You should have seen their catfights. Kurt's the biggest bitch on the block if he wants to be, I tell you."

* * *

Their mash up sucked. It was so, _so_ humiliating to dance in that dress with the boys running around with fake mustaches.

But, even something that sucks so bad has it's perks.

"Wow" Marlo gasped, running her hand through Blaine's hair, amazed. "Your hair's so… Fluffy."

"Thanks, I guess" He smiled shyly, looking at his shoes. "I-I don't really like it. The curls get everywhere and-"

"And I told him to grown them out but _no_" Kurt smiled fondly at his boyfriend, playing with one of the curls. "He'd look so, _so _good with his hair out of the gel prison" Kurt's eyes shone with a look she rarely saw in them and _God _her brother was horny. Yuck.

"Okay Kurtie, hide your boner, no need for me to know about your hair kink" She shivered, her hand back on her hip. "Anyway, Blaine, you should lose the gel. You look, like, thousand times better."

"I second that" Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek, his smile widening.

"Alright, I'm getting out of here before you two start to hump each other" She raised her hand, cutting Kurt short. "And yes, I've seen your make out session in the living room yesterday. I never wanted to see that much of my brother but okay, whatever, I should get used to it."

She took off towards Rory, smiling at his pink shirt and beige jacket.

"Well, don't you look handsome" She chuckled, standing on her tip toes and kissing him.

"You look fantastic" He smiled widely, taking a step back and looking her over.

"I hate the dress, but the jacket and shoes can stay" She twirled around, the skirt flowing up a bit and spinning. "I understand that it's Movember, but are the moustaches really necessary?" She nodded towards Puck, who looked ridiculous in his afro-wig and mustache "I mean, they make them look like creepy fifty-something guys walking around playgrounds and slipping candy in four-year-old's greedy hands."

"I know, I'm a bit scared when it comes to Mr. Shue's ideas" Admitted Rory, squeezing her hand and leading her towards the stage. "Ready?"

"I should ask you, you're the one with some lines" She bumped his arm with her shoulder, laughing. She kissed his cheek and winked. "Show time."

* * *

Troublebitches were kicking their asses big style. She wasn't afraid to admit it – they were _great _and full of _girl power _while drunk off _talent_. They were in big, _big _trouble, no pun intended.

And okay, Santana totally had her reasons to slap Finn. Of course she did. But still.

No one touches the Hudmels. Especially not few days after attacking her boyfriend.

This time the ones caring her out were Puck and Mike. And yeah, she should thank them for that later.

"Hummel!" Puck shook his head. "I get it, you're protective. But dammit, girl, you almost split her lip with your piercing."

"Yeah, _almost_" She hissed, kicking her legs to try and hit Puck _anywhere_. "If it wasn't for _you _holding me back I would have shred that bitch to pieces. No one slaps my younger-"

"Bigger" Said Mike with amused smile on his face, clutching her shoulders.

"-brother. No one. Not even a lesbian outed by him" She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he already got what he deserved. You should have seen Kurt kicking his ass verbally _and_ physically yesterday. Finn's got bruises all over his ribs from all those hits."

"Hummel junior's violent?" Puck snorted, his shoulders shaking from giggles.

"Yep. Blaine tried to teach him how to box this summer, but Kurt gave up after one lesson and bought sai swords on Ebay. He twirls them all the freaking time."

"So he's, like, Raphael?" Mike cocked his head to the side.

"More like Leonardo with sai" She shrugged. "I'm trying to get Blaine into nunchaku just so I can call him Michelangelo. I think that Puck's more like Raphael. Let's give him katanas and pretend Raph and Leo exchanged weapons" She looked up at Mike, a playful smile on her face. "You can be Splinter."

"So you're April?" Puck mocked her, laying her legs down on the floor.

"More like gender-bent Casey" She giggled. "Rory's April."

"But who's Donatello?" Mike let go of her shoulders and helped her up.

"Finn of course. He's better at fixing cars then Kurt, and that's something" She pointed out.

"So, it's official" Puck clapped his hand in glee, jumping up and down. "Next year for Halloween we're Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"

Marlo refused to acknowledge the fact that next year Rory's not gonna be there for Halloween to be the April O'Neil to her Casey Jones.

* * *

On their two week anniversary Mary was showered with gifts and kisses, while she only gave Rory this one book he was_ dying_ to read since he heard Tina crying over it. And really, _The Fault In Our Stars_, although it was one of the best books she ever read, couldn't possibly top a hand decorated picture frame with a picture of the two of them in their ridiculous 80s attire from the mash up competition they lost with a message on the back, written in Rory's almost unreadable handwriting – 'For Casey Jones from April O'Neil'. Puck had such a big mouth but really, she should thank him for it.

That evening she picked up her cell phone and dialed the number she swore she won't after that summer. But Jeff was her best friend if she ever had one and she needed to talk to someone who wasn't Kurt.

He picked up after exactly twenty seconds, as he always did – Jeff was always near his phone and no matter what he was doing prior the call, he picked up.

"Marlo, long time no see! Or talk, if you want to be specific" He chuckled, his voice as cheery as always. It didn't hurt like it should. It didn't leave a desperate need in her chest like it should. It was normal and that's what was so weird for her – no awkwardness, no tension, no hard feelings or unresolved problems. It was as if their relationship never happened and she was grateful for this eerie comfortableness.

"Just felt like talking to you Jeffy!" She smiled, laying back on her bed. "How's operation Niff going?"  
"Just like I already told you, we'll always be friends and Nick will never know" Jeff laughed and she could hear the sadness in his voice, buried deep under the layers of fake happiness. They were so similar it hurt. "I heard that you got yourself a new man! Thought I ruined you for the uglier sex for a moment there."

"As handsome and plain awesome as you are Jeffy, mankind can do better and we both know it" She teased, looking at the picture on her bedside table. "He's as tall as you. Light brown or dark blonde hair, you know I suck at those things – blue eyes. He's Irish" Jeff hummed in approval and she was sure he was wiggling his eyebrows. "And, like, two years younger."

"Oh my, my! Mary Hummel's going after fresh meat I see."

"Shut up, you know it's different than…"  
"Than what exactly?" Jeff voiced his confusion. "Best friends kissing and trying to get together like it was with us, casual teenage pairing to just lower the sexual tension?"  
"I think we're taking what we can have from the limited time we have together" She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "He's an exchange student so he's going back in early July."

"Oh, so like a summer fling?"

She looked at the picture on her bedside table, her stomach turning at the fact that it probably was some kind of twisted summer fling set during the school year.

She was silent and that's probably what made Jeff ask the next question.

"You don't want it to be a fling, do you?"

Her eyes snapped back to Rory's smile on the picture, moving towards her own and she noted that she rarely smiled like that anymore – open and happy and _genuine_.

"No."


	7. You Make Me Perfect

**A/N: **Thank you once again for reading/following/favoriting this story. As much as it may surprise you, today's title's form Nine Inch Nails' _Closer_. Yeah, I found that line in between _I wanna fuck you like an animal_ and _I drink the honey inside your hive. _It's kinda weird that I found this song on my little sister's friend's iPod. She's twelve.

I always imagined that if Nationals have a theme, then the other competitions have to too, so there's that.

As always, I own Marlo and the idea, the rest belongs to someone else.

* * *

_You Make Me Perfect_

* * *

Finn expected that Marlo would just forget about the things Santana said and did and she'll just sing her a song about acceptance and love and support.

Yeah… No way in fucking hell.

Santana insulted and hurt people she cared about. She could say anything she wanted about Marlo, but she touched her family and her boyfriend – there was no way she was supporting that egoistical bitch. Not today, not ever.

So it wasn't really surprising that she mostly sat there and clapped politely, like when Kurt and Blaine expressed their love for each- oh, right, acceptance of Santana. That's totally what they were doing. And then Puck. He totally sang his song for Santana, not Rachel's mother who he's got hots for. Finn was the only person who sang a song for Santana and it actually _was meant for her_.

Mary liked the _I Kissed A Girl_ performance though. It's not everyday that she got to just have fun with the girls, mostly because she wasn't really close to any of them. But it was nice enough. And one time, Quinn slapped her butt. It was awesome. Rory agreed with her and actually told her he wouldn't mind if she kissed another girl until he was there to witness it. She wasn't sure if she should slap him for that, so she just didn't let him touch her for two days straight, following Kurt's advice.

But Quinn's hands and her relationship aside, she didn't enjoy this week. Rachel sabotaged her brother (okay, she wanted Kurt to win and that's why she stuffed the ballots, but still – it made things worse and Brittany won the stupid election) and Finn helped Santana out of trouble (that traitor).

* * *

Since her father became the governor, their house became the local whorehouse. Every time their parents were absent either Rachel or Blaine came over for a little 'couple time' with her brothers. She have had enough of fists banging against the walls, bed frames squeaking and loud moans. It made her much more pissed then it normally would, but that was maybe because her own relationship lacked that much touching and bare skin.

She was pretty sure it was Karma. Her years of sleeping around paid off then. At least other Hudmel Kids were getting laid. Too bad it meant she had to hear it.

One day, Mary really wanted to hang herself or something. She liked Blaine, she really did, but it didn't mean she wanted to know that he liked it hard. Or that he gave great head. She could live without that much information.

So she did the only thing she could think of. She organized a family meeting (without her dad and Carole of course, she wasn't _that_ cruel).

Finn, Kurt and Blaine were the ones squished on the couch this time, with Marlo looking at them from the armchair. They had to have a really important talk.

"My dearest brothers" She looked at Blaine. "And future brother-in-law" Mary took a deep breath and sat back, her hands in her lap. "I understand that all of you started to be… Lets say sexually active" Kurt groaned, hiding his head in his hands. "Don't groan at me Kurt Elisabeth Hummel. We both know you should reserve that noise for Blainey here" Her twin curled up on himself while Blaine turned red. Finn, on the other hand, turned slightly green. "Finn, you should listen too. Anyway, boys, I'll tell you one thing – keep quiet. I want to actually sleep, and for that to happen I need some kind of silence and let me say, headphones don't work anymore. Oh and Blaine-" She sent him a glare Burt Hummel would be proud of. "Next time you decide to - I don't even know what that was. Lap dance? Striptease? Whatever, next time you serenade my brother with Nine Inch Nails' Closer at least let me know so I can get the fuck out of the house."

* * *

Sectionals were getting nearer with every passing day. She could almost taste the lame songs and- Oh, wait, right, Rachel Berry was disqualified from Sectionals because of the ballot. It would be much more enjoyable if it didn't mean they needed two more members now. Turns out every time something good happened to her, it had to cause something _bad_. Stupid Karma. It seemed to suddenly remember all of her sins.

Especially now, considering that her ex-boyfriend was supposedly coming back to town, where her current boyfriend was living. It's not that she had anything against Sam or they had any feelings for each only reason why they dated in the first place was because Sam didn't allow sex without relationship and she wanted to tap him and figure out how good his lips were at… Things. Rory was younger than her, younger than Sam, and much more inexperienced than the both of them and guys often felt insecure about those things. She didn't want Rory to feel bad or anything. She actually generously liked him, and that was quite rare. The fact that Sam was the last guy she slept with didn't help.

"Admit it" Rory sighed, his hand holding up his chin. "He's good in bed."

"Oh my God, shut up Rory!" She fucking _blushed_. Good thing they were currently sitting in her room with the doors closed. "Do you need to be this blunt about this situation?" Marlo shook her head, as if cleaning it from some of the thoughts that popped out. "It doesn't matter. He's my _ex_ – as in, _oops we're not right for each other yeah okay bye _– which means that you're already better than him. Our relationship lasted exactly two weeks. Then he started to fawn over Quinn and proposed to her."

"So what if our relationship is a week longer" Rory sighed. "And isn't that kind of proposal thing romantic or something?"

"No" She shook her head once again, chuckling. "It's stupid. Let me remind you he was sixteen. At sixteen, as you should know seeing as you're currently that age, you should live your life. Hold on to being a kid. I tell you, as soon as I turn nineteen and get out of this school, it won't be easy" Mary buried her hand in her hair, frowning. "I'll need to have a job and move out and do something with my life. At sixteen you shouldn't worry about marriage and kids and all that shit. You should be carefree and happy that you're still… Young and fresh and undamaged."

"Mary, it's just… I _really_ like you" Rory whispered, as if it was a secret. Maybe it was. They never really discussed with anyone about how serious their relationship was. Maybe this was meant only for her ears. "And… And I really don't want to screw this up with my…_ Inexperience_."

"Oh come on" She bumped their shoulders, smiling at his red cheeks. "As if you could ruin anything. _I'm_ the obnoxious and cheap one."

"Don't call yourself cheap."

"I am."

"No, you never were."

"You didn't even know me then. Ask Finn – he's got absolutely no filter so he won't mind describing my freshman and sophomore years for you."

"But I know you now" He shrugged, smiling shyly. "And I'll tell you one thing – you, Mary Hummel, are many things, but you certainly aren't cheap."

The silence following that sentence wasn't hanging over them like she expected it to. It was comfortable, even. She realized something.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"You called me Mary for the first time today" Marlo smiled from ear to ear, looking at their interlaced fingers.

"It seems like it" His face lit up a bit. "I'm kind of a lousy boyfriend then. The only thing I can say is that the only person who calls you Mary is your brother."

"That's because people are scared of me" She squeezed his hand, her gaze on the wall in front of her. "It's the same with Puck. Except for me, people who call him that are at least a bit frightened. People listen to and respect others only when they're scared of them. Or they actually care, which is really, _really _rare."

She looked at Rory, her eyes shifting downwards ever now and then.

"I don't get why anyone would be scared of you" He smiled at her reassuringly, drawing little circles near her thumb. "I mean, you're small and cute and adorable-"

Marlo punched his side lightly with her free hand. Rory laughed, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

* * *

Finn somehow convinced Burt and Carole that Sam Evans will be a great addition to their family. And somehow he _forgot _to mention to them that year prior Mary was messing around the sheets with him.

She didn't exactly know how she convinced Finn to take her with him. And that's a bad thing considering she didn't want to do that mistake once again – she fucked up seeing as he took Rachel with them too.

They stopped in front of a shady looking building with a neon sign with so many letters missing and/or not working that it was impossible to read it.

"So, are you sure Sam works _here_?" Rachel pointed at the doors like they were the gate leading straight to hell. "Finn I love you but you can be a bit…"

"Dumb?" Marlo rolled her eyes, getting out of the car. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Berry. It's the right address."

Rachel looked at her boyfriend with something you could easily identify as _I-will-pee-on-everything-you-love-except-for-me-fo r-taking-me-here_ look. It was rather amusing for Mary to watch her giant brother squirm away from a girl maybe two thirds his height with fear.

"Okay, lovebirds, come on, we don't have the whole night, Sam's shift ends at midnight."

"Like in Cinderella" Finn's goofy smile was back with it's full force as he opened the doors for the girls.

"Sure thing, Finny" The blonde rolled her eyes, before looking at her surroundings. There were at least dozens of middle aged women. "Guys, do you think what I think?"

"Uh… I don't think so" Finn cocked his head to the side, looking at her curiously. "What _are_ you thinking?"

"I think I know" Rachel groaned looking at the stage, just before the announcer introduced the first performer – or if you prefer, _stripper._

"I like this song" Finn smiled, before his eyes widened at the sight of Mr. Package tearing of his shirt. "Oh God."

"Hell yeah, we're at a strip bar and it's not my birthday or anything" Mary grinned mischievously. "Can you imagine Kurt's face if he was here? Oh God, I know what we're gonna do for our birthday _now_!"

"Ladies, give it up for… _White Chocolate!_"

"Oh, I know that one" She turned to Finn, taking his valet out of his jeans' pocket and taking couple of bills out. He was too stunned to react, just like Rachel. "Thanks little brother!"

She started to make her way through the crowd of horny housewives towards the stage. She chuckled when she saw Sam tear of his pants and thrust his hips into the air. She couldn't believe the Christian guy she dated for whole two weeks was a stripper now.

"Hey Chocolate!" She yelled when she was near enough for Sam to hear her. "How about a bit of talk after the show!"

Sam froze, turning towards her. His eyes widened while he chocked out her name. She placed the bills in his hand and winked, before disappearing in the crowd.

* * *

She never imagined that the room where strippers were getting ready for their performances was so… Bright and clean. It didn't smell of sex, though there was a lingering stench of cigarettes in the air. Sam had his arms wrapped over his chest, a robe thrown carelessly around his nearly naked body.

She knew that Sam was crazy about his body and counted calories all the time and after everything he ate he spent hours at the gym to get rid of any fat left in his body. She also knew that each time she brought it up when they were together he snapped at her and didn't talk to her for at least two hours. But after she almost sent him to psychologist, he explained that he just wanted to stay in perfect shape if things got bad. She didn't know what he meant. At least, not until now.

He always considered stripping to be his plan B. She had to admit, she was impressed. He was ready for everything, it seemed.

Well, maybe except three of the New Directions' members to show up while he was working. Especially with one of them male and not Kurt Hummel.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his face set in stone. She knew that face. He was furious and, most importantly, scared shitless.

"We need you to come with us, Sam" Finn was sitting in one of the plastic chairs, with Rachel situated on his knee. "New Directions need you."

"Well, where were you when my family needed help?" Sam leaned back in his chair, frowning. "Except of Kurt, Quinn and Marlo none of you cared about anyone but yourselves" He clenched his teeth, swallowing his screams. Mary shuddered. If it wasn't for the fact that Kurt told her about Sam's situation, she probably wouldn't care about his problems either. "Damn, the guys from Dalton cared _more_. One of them almost gave me enough money to buy a fucking _car _and he didn't even _know _me!"

"That's Trent for you" Mary shrugged, swinging her legs back and forth. She was sitting on a table in the back. "That's the first thing he does when he hears that someone hasn't got enough money for something. One time Kurt forgot his valet and he offered him one of his cards. He's, like, one of the richest guys at Dalton" She sighed, sliding from the table and making her way towards Sam, smiling sadly. She refused to mention that he only did it when that someone was a cute guy. "Sam, we both know that every member of New Directions is as egoistical as they come, us included" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him briefly. "I'm sorry our friends are lousy, but still" She took a step back, her hands on her hips. "You miss Lima, for some crazy reason. Come on, admit it! You want to come with us."

Sam sighed heavily and nodded.

"I have to talk to my parents though" He took a deep breath, letting the air out through his nose. "The money just got better recently, I want to be sure that… That it won't happen again."

* * *

They somehow convinced Sam's parents that he's going to be okay and he won't be a burden. Well, they were pretty awesome.

Plus, Mary got to see Sam's siblings. She loved the twins so much it was crazy. They were real sweethearts and as their ex-babysitter, she trained them well.

"I'll miss you" Said Stacey, her blonde hair tickling Marlo's face.

"I'll miss you more" Stevie gripped her tighter, blowing his sister a raspberry.

"Aw, I'll miss you guys too!" She chuckled, letting go of the twins and smiling brightly. "I loved being your babysitter. Especially when you two were on sugar high because of your brother. You two are awesome at tying Sam to a chair."

"But who are we gonna tie to a chair now?" Stacey pouted, looking down.

"Try tying your dad" She whispered, winking. Mr. Evans was cool, he'll understand. "Okay, I think your brother's packed now, go say bye to him. I promise I'll sent you Christmas presents through him, okay guys?"

They nodded and hugged her goodbye once again, before rushing upstairs, insulting and tripping each other. She smiled at their bickering.

Yeah, she totally loved kids.

* * *

"Okay guys" Since the alcohol was already gone and Sam sang his – not really - audition song, Shuester clapped his hands and sat on his stool. "Now, the theme for this year's Sectionals is- Drum roll, please!" Finn complied with a smile. "Power!"

People started to shout and already fight over the songs while Mary turned to Rory and smiled at him.

"So, what do you think about Sam?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"He's, well" He cleared his throat, looking for the right words. "He's the stereotypical American boy."

"Yep" Marlo nodded, kissing Rory's cheek. "You, on the other hand, are not. So, did you _have_ to be so jealous?"

"Have you _seen _him?" He whined, looking at the boy before looking down at his own chest, poking his belly. "He's muscular and blond and everything any normal guy would want to be!"

"Thank god their dreams don't come true, then" She started to play with the neckline of her boyfriend's shirt. "The world would be dull and less attractive."

"He's a freaking _Adonis_."

"I prefer brown haired guys anyway."

"From what I heard, Jeff was also blond."

"And you see how my relationship with Jeff ended. Painfully. Thanks to that, I know now that brown haired boys are better" She chuckled. "Plus, blonde's not Jeff's natural hair color. Nor Sam's."

"I…" He laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know how to question your logic. It's…"

"Stupid, I know" Mary winked, leaning her head against his shoulder. "But look at it this way – you admitted you have no idea how to prove me wrong."

"Mr. Shue, Mr. Shue!" Blaine was bouncing in his seat, waving his hand. "I have an idea, I have an idea!"

"Go on, Blaine."

"I thought: what is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think 'power'?" _Oh please no. _"And the only thing I see is" _Please no I found the secret stash under his bed don't tell me he's going to go there _"A Hero" _And he just did it._

Sadly, Mr. Shue liked the idea and sent them home so they could google songs about heroes and shit.

God, and to think that this club meeting started with fun and alcohol.


	8. Put Your Hands On Me

**A/N:** Welcome back in yet another chapter of I Wanna Be Your Melody! Thanks for favoriting, following, reviewing and reading! I'm pretty sure all of you know where I got the title of this chapter. Bless Miss Katy Perry. As always, the only thing I own is Marlo and the idea.

The songs used in this chapter:

1. Mash-up (mashed-up by me) of Superchic[k]'s Hero and Skillet's Hero, sung by _Tina_, **Puck**, _Quinn_, **Marlo**, _Artie _and _**all of the ND.**_

2. Nickelback's Hero, sung by _Finn _and **Sam.**

3. Mika's Kick Ass (We Are Young), sung by _Mike_, **Blaine**, _Finn, _**Rory**_, Kurt_, **Marlo**,_Sam,_ **Quinn** and _**all of the ND**_

**WARNING!** This chapter ends with a bit of making out and groping. Also mentions of real gay porn stars Johnny Rapid and Rafael Alencar. **YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED**

* * *

_Put Your Hands On Me_

* * *

Marlo sighed, fixing her hair for the millionth time in one of the mirrors the boys dragged into the choir room. Everything was ready; the clothes, the songs, the choreography – but it felt like she wasn't ready at all. She hated her stage fright more then ever seeing as it was the first time she was supposed to sing in front of the judges.

"You look beautiful."

She turned away from her reflection, smiling at her boyfriend. Rory's blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

_At least one of us can't wait to get out there._

"You don't look half-bad yourself" She smiled, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "I'd even risk saying you look pretty dashing, Mr. Flanagan."

He chuckled, returning the gesture before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her lightly.

"Okay guys" Shuester chose this moment to interrupt them with his motivational speech no one ever listened to. Kurt elbowed her in the ribs and motioned her mouth, then Rory's. She turned to look at him and _oops _some of her red lipstick traveled from her lips to his. She'll have to reapply the stupid thing and tell Rory to get it off his face. _Awesome, just what I needed, more stress._

* * *

She took a big, calming breath. This was it. They were going to perform. On stage. Perform and win that shit. And after that, she'll be safe from those prying eyes, back in her room.

The melody started. Marlo felt Tina stir back to life and turn around towards the audience as the spotlight hit her.

_No one sits with him, he doesn't fit in_

_But we feel like we do when we make fun of him_

_Cause you want to belong do you go along?_

_Cause his pain is the price paid for you to belong_

_It's not like you hate him or want him to die_

_But maybe he goes home and thinks suicide_

_Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side_

_Any kindness from you might have saved his life_

The lights turned on while Puck kicked in with the chorus, the boys backing him up softly as the girls carried on singing the Superchic[k]'s song parts.

**I need a hero to save me now** _(You could be a hero, Heroes do what's right)_

**I need a hero** _(You could be a hero, You might save a life)_

**I need a hero to save my life** _(You could be a hero, You could join the fight)_

**A hero'll save me** _(For what's right for what's right for what's right)_

The darkness fell on the stage once again, a single lamp shining down on Quinn.

_No one talks to her, she feels so alone_

_She's in too much pain to survive on her own_

_The hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife_

_She writes on her arm, wants to give up her life_

_Each day she goes on is a day that she is brave,_

_Fighting the lie that giving up is the way,_

_Each moment of courage her own life she saves_

_When she throws the pills out a hero is made_

They were back to the chorus, the choreography still simple, only a bit of walking around each other and rocking from side to side.

Marlo took a deep breath and forced herself to stand tall and proud, getting ready for her part.

_Who's gonna fight for what's right?_

_Who's gonna help us survive?_

_We're in the fight of our lives __**(**__**And we're not ready to die**__**)**_

_Who's gonna fight for the weak?_

_Who's gonna make 'em believe?_

_I've got a hero_ _**(I've got a hero)**_

_Living in me_

_I'm gonna fight for what's right_

_Today I'm speaking my mind_

_And if it kills me tonight __**(I will be ready to die)**_

_A hero's not afraid to give his life_

_A hero's gonna save me just in time_

She faded to the blackness and shuffled to the side, panting. She did it. She sang. She let herself listen to Artie who was at the center of the stage, relieved.

**Little Mikey D. was the one in class who everyday got brutally harassed**

**This went on for years until he decided that never again would he shed another tear**

**So he walked through the door, grabbed a four four out of his father's dressing drawer**

**And said I can't take life no more**

**And like that life can be lost**

**But this ain't even about that**

**All of us just sat back and watched it happen**

**Thinkin' it's not my responsibility to solve a problem that isn't about me**

**This is our problem**

**This is just one of the daily scenarios which we choose to close our eyes**

**Instead of doing the right thing**

**If we make a choice and be the voice for those who won't speak up for themselves**

**How many lives would be saved, changed, rearranged**

**Now it's our time to pick a side**

**So don't keep walkin' by**

**Not wantin' to intervene**

**Cause you wanna exist and never be saved**

**So let's wake up and change the world**

**Our time is now**

She let the melody sooth her as they belted out the chorus for the final time. She was preparing her body for the next two songs, both with much more dancing involved.

**I need a hero to save me now** _(You could be a hero, Heroes do what's right)_

**I need a hero** _(You could be a hero, You might save a life)_

**I need a hero to save my life** _(You could be a hero, You could join the fight)_

**A hero'll save me** (_For what's right for what's right for what's right)_

Marlo almost wished they had Mercedes or even Rachel there to hold the note, but she had to just shake her head and leave that thoughts for later. They had two more numbers to perform.

The stage lid up with, leaving her skin glowing with oranges and yellows. She hated those lights. Finn took a step forward, Sam right next to him.

_I am so high. I can hear heaven. _

_I am so high. I can hear heaven. _

_Oh but__** heaven, no heaven don't hear me. **_

The both of them sounded great, though she didn't really like the song. It was Finn's choice anyway, and Marlo knew he wanted that one because it was in one of those Spiderman movies he loved.

_And they say that a __**hero can save us.**_

_**I'm not gonna stand here and wait. **_

_I'll hold onto the __**wings of the eagles. **_

_**Watch as we all fly away.**_

Sam stood proudly as the rest on New Directions danced in the background, their moves similar to the choreography from _Keep Holding On, _a suggestion made by Mike. Every move was delicate, just a background to the boys' singing.

**Someone told me love will **_**all save us.**_

**But how can that be, look **_**what love gave us. **_

**A world full of**_** killing, and blood-spilling **_

_**That world never came. **_

_And they say that a __**hero can save us. **_

_**I'm not gonna stand here and wait. **_

_I'll hold onto the __**wings of the eagles. **_

_**Watch as we all fly away**_**. **

_Now that the __**world isn't ending, it's love that I'm sending to you.**_

_It isn't the __**love of a hero, and that's why I fear it won't do.**_

The music sped up, just like their moves across the stage. Marlo forgot how many times she already twirled and skipped. She felt kind of dizzy.

_And they say that a __**hero can save us. **_

_**I'm not gonna stand here and wait. **_

_I'll hold onto the __**wings of the eagles. **_

_**Watch as we all fly away. **_

_And they're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_They're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_As we all fly away_.

_And they're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_They're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_As we all fly away_.

_And they're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_They're watching us _

**(Watching Us) **

_As we all fly away_.

And then the music stopped. Marlo breathed a sigh of relief. Only one song left.

Only one song with lots of jumping and dancing and shit and she had two lines to sing. Goddammit.

But, at least, Rory got a couple of lines. There was nothing she lo-_liked_ as much as her boyfriend's voice.

They huddled together on the stairs that were currently on the stage, standing straight with their hands behind their backs. The lights flashed.

_**We are young**_

_**We are strong**_

_**We're not looking for where we belong**_

_**We're not cool**_

_**We are free**_

_**And we're running with blood on our knees**_

The music started and Mike took a step in front of the New Directions, singing.

_We could rule the world_

_On a silver platter_

_From the wrong to the right light_

_To the open stream_

Blaine joined Mike on the front, as they divined into groups of two and one group of three in the middle, copying the boy's moves.

**With a crash and burn**

**We can make it better**

**Turn it upside down**

**Just you and me**

Finn ran up to the boys, joining Blaine in singing the part. Mary had to admit, the both of them sounded even better than Sam and Finn. _They should sing at least a one song together next time._

_**We are the dream**_

_**No other way to be**_

They started to jump around the stage, Mike showing off his moves with Blaine and Kurt being the only ones able to keep up with him, clearly thanks to the Warbler training they got last year.

_**We are young**_

_**We are strong**_

_**We're not looking for where we belong**_

_**We're not cool**_

_**We are free**_

_**And we're running with blood on our knees**_

Rory twirled her around, leading her to the front, singing.

**I could change the world**

**I can make it better**

**Kick it up and down**

**Took a chance on me**

Kurt walked in front of his group, his steps coping the ones of the models she saw in many of the fashion shows he forced her to watch.

_When you fake a smile_

_And you think you're better_

_Gonna put it down_

_Whip it at your feet_

Marlo smiled at her boyfriend, turning to the audience for a moment, stepping backwards like they practiced yesterday.

Yeah, she had to admit, Mr. Shue had a problem with procrastination.

**No bridge to burn**

**Nowhere to turn for me**

During the chorus everyone was just having fun, dancing and singing, before Sam stepped to the front, taking over with Quinn joining him at the end.

_What do they know about us?_

_Are they thinking of somebody else?_

_**Are they wondering what we might be?**_

_**Are they thinking of you or of me?**_

They repeated the chorus couple of times, before the music faded away and the only thing she could hear were the cheers of the audience.

And it wasn't really surprising when ten minutes later Mary found herself surrounded by the rest of New Directions, cheering and kissing her boyfriend, celebrating their win.

* * *

"We won" Rory's voice echoed around the empty Hudmel house, Mary's hand in his.

"Yep" She nodded, leading him towards her bedroom.

"Wow" He sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe it. We practiced for what, two days?"

"One and a half" She corrected him, rolling her eyes. "Don't you remember Rachel's two hours long talk about how our chances were too small without her voice?"  
"Oh, right" Rory squeezed her hand, a shy smile gracing his features. "So, what are we gonna do now?"

"Now, we're going to have a celebratory make-out session" Marlo smiled back, opening the door to her room. "We have exactly twenty minutes before Finchel or Klaine will get in with their celebratory sex, so let's don't waste time."

Rory's lips landed on hers, their hands clutching the layers of clothing between them. Rory's jacket fell to the floor, while Mary's landed on her desk. Marlo's back rested on the bed, her hands fisting Rory's hair while his fingers dug into her waist. She loved kissing him – the way his tongue felt in her mouth, the way their noses bumped every once and then, the fact that Rory always tasted like chocolate. His addiction to sweets was definitely paying off.

Mary's hands traveled from his hair to his neck, before slowly moving to his chest and toying with the buttons of his shirt. Rory started to play with the hem of her own shirt, his fingers touching the bare skin of her stomach. Marlo shivered, opening the top three buttons of his shirt before her hands moved downwards and slipped in, her nails leaving trails on his skin.

She felt Rory's hands shaking for a little while before he took of his shirt, clearly a bit self-conscious about his body.

She didn't see _why _he'd feel anything but confident, though. She'd seen her fare share of shirtless guys and while Rory wasn't buff, he was fit. His pale skin was marred with pink marks where her nails dug in too deep.

"Well, it's not fair" She looked down at her chest, still covered by the shirt. "I think I should lose a layer too. You know, to sympathize with you in case you get cold."

"Okay" Choked out Rory, his eyes trailing her hands as they unbuttoned her own shirt.

She felt nervous. She hadn't feel nervous about being naked since she was fifteen, and she was only taking off her shirt, but Rory's anticipation and nervousness seeped into her. She felt as if it was totally new for her.

It was a great feeling, but still, a scary one.

Her eyes found Rory's when the white material fell to the floor. He was trying not to look down, clearly fighting with himself.

"Oh come on, as if I wasn't staring at you" She rolled her eyes, relieved that she was back to her old, shameless self. "You know the whole point of me taking of my shirt was for you to see me without it, you know?"

Rory laughed and Marlo was happy to note that some of his nervousness faded. She wanted him to be comfortable with her.

"So, what are you waiting for?" She asked him, coy smile on her face. "Not that I have anything against only staring at one another, but you know, kissing's fun."

Rory kneeled on the bed, one of his hands resting on her neck, the other tentatively touching her waistline, lightly pressing against her skin. He slowly leaned in, kissing her softly. They shared sweet, innocent kisses, their hands slowly exploring the bare skin. Her hands sure and bold. His delicate and shy.

Marlo broke the kiss, staring into Rory's eyes.

"You know that if I didn't want you to touch me, I wouldn't be doing this?" One of her eyebrows raised in question, wide smile on her face.

"I-I-"

"Rory, I love the fact that you're a gentleman" She let go of his shoulders, catching his hands in hers. "It's sweet. You're sweet. But I don't think it's fair if I get to touch you everywhere while you have to limit yourself to my shoulders and waist" She rested one of his hands on her stomach, slowly raising it until his middle finger bumped against the bottom of her bra. Rory's breath hitched. She felt herself shiver. "The whole point of making-out is getting to the second base."

She shivered as his fingers danced around the edge, his eyes following them. For a second Rory glanced at her, watching her reaction. Slowly, his hand moved upwards, not gripping or squeezing but still there.

Okay, that was maybe one of the best feelings in the world. And she had sex with dozens of men before. She never knew that the innocent and unsure touches could feel so overwhelming. Maybe her brother was right about the feelings thing.

Her heart raced, ready to burst out of her chest. She was sure Rory could feel it.

His thumb started to move back and forth, his lips finding hers in another slow, this time much more sensual, kiss.

Her hands moved to his chest, slowly sliding down. She felt every little curve of his ribs – God, he was skinny – her fingers brushing against the dark hair under his belly button and _God_ she had a thing for happy trails. Her fingers slipped into the loop holes, tugging Rory towards her. He groaned when their hips collided, his grip on her breast tightening and she _squealed _in response. She felt her cheeks get hotter, embarrassed by her reaction. She was _blushing._

Rory squeezed, looking smug when he heard her gasp. She had the embarrassing flaw of being really vocal in bed, which seemed to entertain him. She sent him a glare, earning only a chuckle in response.

They got back to kissing, Rory's hand still exploring while she experimentally rolled her hips, making him gasp. She felt herself smirk into the kiss. Sweet revenge.

Sadly, everything comes to an end. It's one thing when you're alone with your boyfriend with the doors closed and you hear the front door open, cause then you at least have the time to get a shirt and put it on. But when the door to your room are opened so forcefully they bounce of the wall and then your brother and his boyfriend stumble in, too occupied to even get to the right room before already loosing the jackets, shoes and with their button downs open, you can't really have that comfort.

"Oy, Johnny Rapid and Rafael Alencar! Get your asses out of my room!"

Kurt and Blaine seemed to finally notice the fact that not only they were in the wrong room, but also that other human beings in a rather indecent state were there. Rory blushed, his back shielding her from the boys.

Kurt's face turned into a rather violent shade of red, while Blaine chocked out a not really convincing apology before they walked out and closed the door behind them.

"Well, that was a total mood killer" She laid down on her back, rolling her eyes. "Can you give me that t-shirt over there?"

"I have a question" His cheeks were still tinged pink when he handled her the shirt. "Who're Johnny Rapid and Rafael Alencar?"

"Gay porn stars."


	9. Like An Equation, You're Very Confusing

**A/N: **So yeah guys, turns out I COULDN'T NOT DO IT. It was something I wanted to do so BADLY and I'm so sorry if you think it's bad or creepy, but... Yeah, we've got some R5 here. Like, I changed the names and origins of the band name but... Yeah, that's them. First part of the title's from R5's Can't Get Enough Of You, the other from Matchbox 20's Unwell. I own nothing.

So when it comes to songs they actually normally sing at for you to get who is who, basically I mostly used their middle names:

- Jeff's Riker (like duh) and he's 17

- Shor's Ross and he's 13

- Candy's Rydel (cause Rydel's middle name's Maria and that would get confusing for me if I use them in the future chapters) and she's 15

- Mark's Rocky and he's 14

- Michael's Ryland and he's 11

- Ray's Ratliff and he's 15.

The songs used in this chapter are:

1. We Are Golden by Mika, sung by **Blaine**, _Kurt, __Rachel_, **Finn**, _Quinn_, **Puck**, **Mike**, _Tina_, **Sam**, _Mercedes_, **Santana,** _Mary_, **Rory** & _**all of the**_ **_ND_**

2. Hope You Found It Now by Jason Walker, sung by **Jeff **& _**all of the R5**_

3. Can't Get Enough Of You by R5, sung by Shor & _**all of the R5**_

4. Unwell by Matchbox 20, sung by **Jeff**.

* * *

_Like an equation (...) you're very confusing_ **(I'm (...) unwell I know (...) you can't tell)**

* * *

Mary smiled at Rory. He was sitting behind her, their legs stretched in front of them. He leaned down and kissed her softly before the music started, all of them joining in at first.

_**Teenage dreams in a teenage circus**_

_**Running around like a clown on purpose**_

_**Who gives a damn about the family you come from?**_

_**No giving up when you're young and you want some**_

Blaine and Kurt stoop up and ran to the center of the stage, spinning and holding hands, all of them following their lead.

_**Running around again**_

_**Running for running**_

Blaine smiled at Kurt, his eyes shining with joy.

**Waking up**

**In the midday sun**

**What's to live for?**

**You could see what I've done**

Kurt returned his gaze, spinning his boyfriend in circle.

_Staring at emotion_

_In the light of day_

_I was running_

_From the things that you'd say_

Rachel stood alone in the middle, her smile widening when Finn joined her.

_We are not what you think we are_

_We are golden, we are golden._

_**We are not what you think we are**_

_**We are golden, we are golden.**_

Mike once again started to show off, his dancing making Marlo do a double take once in a while. She was amazed by what he could do with his body. She'd never be able to copy some of those moves.

_**Teenage dreams in a teenage circus**_

_**Running around like a clown on purpose**_

_**Who gives a damn about the family you come from?**_

_**No giving up when you're young and you want some**_

Puck and Quinn started to chase each other, singing one after the other.

_Running around again_

**Running for running**

Mike took a hold of Tina's hand, leading her in some speed up dance.

**Running around again**

_Running for running_

Sam smiled at everyone, spinning around before belting out his part of the song.

**I was a boy**

**At an open door**

**Why you staring**

**Do you still think that you know?**

Tina stood next to him, her arm around his waist as she hugged him briefly before turning back to Mike, her voice echoing through the auditorium.

_Looking for treasure_

_In the things that you threw_

_Like a magpie_

_I live for glitter, not you_

Finn and Rachel twirled around, the girl once again clamming the first part of the bridge.

_We are not what you think we are_

_We are golden, we are golden._

_**We are not what you think we are**_

_**We are golden, we are golden.**_

Marlo noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. Everyone turned to the right when they heard new voices join them during the chorus.

_**Teenage dreams in a teenage circus**_

_**Running around like a clown on purpose**_

_**Who gives a damn about the family you come from**_

_**No giving up when you're young and you want some**_

Brittany was dragged away by Mike, joining him in some crazy dance. Sugar joined Artie, running around his wheelchair and laughing. Mercedes' hands were full of gay teens as Kurt and Blaine led her to the middle, her voice leaving goosebumps down Mary's spine.

_Now I'm sitting alone_

_I'm finally looking around_

_Left here on my own_

_I'm gonna hurt myself_

To everyone's surprise, it was Santana who sang the rest of the verse, Finn and Rachel coming over to her and trapping her in a Finchel sandwich.

**Maybe losing my mind**

**I'm still wondering why**

**Had to let the world let it bleed dry**

Marlo, bolder in between the people she knew then normally on stage started to sing, her foot tapping to the beat with Rory's hand still held firmly in hers.

_We are not what you think we are_

_We are not what you think we are_

Rory joined her, turning her towards his body and wrapping his arms around her waist before he took her of the ground, spinning.

_**We are not what you think we are**_

_**We are golden, we are golden**_

Everyone started to jump and run around, simply having fun in between their friends. That's what the whole club was about.

_**Teenage dreams in a teenage circus**_

_**Running around like a clown on purpose**_

_**Who gives a damn about the family you come from**_

_**No giving up when you're young and you want some**_

_**Running around again**_

_**Running for running**_

_**Running around again**_

_**Running for running**_

The music got quieter as they stopped, turning towards Kurt and Blaine who sang the last lines towards each other, beaming.

_**We are not what you think we are**_

_**We are golden, we are golden.**_

* * *

Marlo and Rory were sitting in one of the booths in Breadstix, eating spaghetti.

It was awkward.

She never really got why whenever she went on a date with a guy she could talk with for hours, it turned awkward fast. And it's not like it was their first date. They went to the park regularly to sit and kiss under the trees, she stole Kurt's car couple of times so they could drive whenever and wherever they wanted, and they actually spent their lunch period (thank God for the power of coincidence) sitting on the bleachers and talking. They never had problems with talking, well, not until last night.

Jeff called her.

She loved Jeff. Jeff was her best friend in the whole wide world. Jeff was the guy she dated for the longest time in her life.

Jeff was someone Marlo didn't like to talk about in front of Rory.

She wasn't exactly sure how Rory'd react when he heard that she was still freakishly close to her ex. He took Sam well, but she hadn't talked to Sam since he moved to Kentucky. She talked to Jeff every now and then since she called him on her and Rory's anniversary. They talked and laughed and caught up and she was sure Rory won't be happy about it.

So she kept the fact that Jeff and his family band invited her for their gig this week to herself. She hated lying, but she reasoned that that wasn't what she was doing. She failed though.

"Okay" Rory pushed his plate away. "Come on, do it."

"Do what?" Mary jumped up a bit, her fork slipping out of her hand and hitting the table.

"You suddenly stopped talking to me" He raised his eyebrows, suspicious. "What's going on?"

"Just-" She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "_Jeffaskedmetocomeoverandseehisband'sgigonFriday_."

"_What_?"

"Don't get jealous okay? I hate it when you get worked up over nothing" She sighed. "Jeff wants me to watch his band's gig this Friday."

"But the-"

"The Official Hudmel Friday Dinner's postponed to Saturday. Dad's gonna be in Washington."

"Oh" Rory looked down at his dish, his expression unreadable. "So, are you going?"

"I'd like to, but no."

"What?" His head snapped up, his eyes wide. "Why?"

"I already told you" She rolled her eyes, playing with her fork. "I hate it when you get jealous and sad and all that shit. So, I'm not going."

"I think you should."

"_What?_" She raised her eyebrow, mocking his answer. "You've been hanging out with Sam too much lately I think. It's like when he wanted Quinn to kiss Finn to prove there was nothing between them. And I can tell you what exactly was between them – tongues and lots of bacteria."

"Stop it" Rory sighed, grabbing her hand, tugging it towards him and playing with her fingers. "It's like you _want _me to have some issues with Jeff."

"It's not _that_" Mary ran her other hand through her hair, trying to get some of the bangs out of her face. "It's just that I've never really seen a guy being okay with their girlfriend being close to her ex.. It's, like, against some rules or something."

"I'm not going to rule your life, Mary" He cocked his head to the side, the warm smile back on his face. "I'm your boyfriend, not your boss. If you want to meet up with Jeff, I have no say in this."

She looked at him curiously, before copying his smile.

"You're doing something on Friday?"

* * *

That's pretty much how she ended up locked in some café in Westerville with her ex and current boyfriend. She didn't get to talk with Jeff before the whole thing, but she was sure he wouldn't mind another person in the audience.

But Jeff did warn her prior, though. And _damn _she should have warned Rory, because this was going to complicate things.

The first song was dedicated to _Marlo Hummel_, from _Jeff Sterling_, and it could be taken very, very wrong by Rory, considering the fact that he could interpret the song differently then it was meant to be. Like that, for example, Jeff still felt something towards her. Which was a lie and Jeff wanted to actually tell the opposite – that he was glad she was with Rory. But _oops_ the song could be taken the wrong way.

When the R5 was announced, Marlo smiled, fond memories of Sterling's garage and summer came back to her. Jeff's sister came up with the name, explaining that all of the Sterling's middle names started with "r". Marlo would be less freaked out if it wasn't for the fact that the drummer's, Jeff's brother's friend's, first name started with "r". It was creepy as hell, but whatever. Coincidence is something big in your life and all that shit.

Then, the freaking song happened.

Jeff was sitting on one of the stools, his sister Candy (_cause I'm sweet as sugar and that makes me their secret weapon _she told her, and she really was a sweet and giddy) playing on the piano, and as always focused on the keys, her fingers dancing across the keyboard.

**What was it that got broken inside of you**

**That sent you off searching down empty avenues?**

**Rooms cold and smoky that you stumbled through**

**Looking for a little truth somehow**

_**I hope you found it now**_

_**I hope you found it now**_

Jeff was great, as always. Mary glanced at Rory and hoped that he wasn't, like, in rage or something. Which, surprisingly, he was. He was calm. He was even smiling a little. She asked him about it.

"It's a good song" He replied, squeezing her hand and smiling even wider, his eyes never leaving hers. "And I trust you – when you say there's nothing between the two of you, I believe it."

She sighed in relief and let herself enjoy the performance, feeling like she was going to tear up because _God_ Jeff didn't even know Rory well and he already approved, just by listening to her gushing about him.

**The burdens that you carry and all of you mistakes**

**You're looking for a place to lay them down**

**And I hope you found it now**

_**I hope you found it now**_

_**I hope you found it now**_

_**I hope you found it now**_

_**I hope you found it now**_

The café filled with applause, the sound drowning Jeff's _thank you'_s. The boys smiled at each other, Shor – and God, she seen the boy only couple of months earlier, was it normal for thirteen year old to get that much taller this quickly – starting to sing and _okay _she loved when he sang this song and clearly he loved to sing it, cause his grin was clearly not getting off of his face any time soon.

I'm loosing sleep

I'm counting sheep like

**one, two, three, let's go**

You hypnotize me

You mesmerize me

Way-o way-o

**Way over my head** and I don't know what to do

'Cause I can't get enough of you

See girl you're like an equation

And I'm not good at math

You're very confusing

My hearts in a trap

I don't see your signs

Or see through the lines

And I just can't understand your mind

It was a fun song, one that Jeff wrote back in August. She was proud to say that she heard it before everyone else, and that includes Michael, who bugged Jeff and Mark about songs every other day to know the progress of everything and okay, for an eleven-year-old boy he was the most involved manager she'd ever seen.

And really, she missed the Sterlings every now and then. They were a fun, happy family and she couldn't help but smile every time she saw them interact.

* * *

Rory watched her with a smile on his face, enjoying the music. He didn't really care about Jeff – sure, the fact that Mary dated him only couple of months ago was a bit unnerving, but it didn't matter. Jeff was her best friend. He won't keep her away from someone so important in her life. He'd be the worst boyfriend in the world if he did that.

The youngest one on stage sang the last note of another song before thanking for the applause and announcing the last song. He felt Mary tense when she heard the title, clearly getting something he didn't catch.

He didn't recognize the song, though he had to admit he was surprised when he heard the opening notes. It wasn't like any of those pop/punk/rock songs they seemed to pull out of their sleeves.

**All day staring at the ceiling**

**Making friends with shadows on my wall**

**All night hearing voices telling me**

**That I should get some sleep**

**Because tomorrow might be good for something**

**Hold on**

**Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown**

**And I don't know why**

Marlo squeezed his hand, her smile fading slowly, as if the song made her more upset by every second she listened to it.

**But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell**

**I know right now you can't tell**

**But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see**

**A different side of me**

**I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired**

**I know right now you don't care**

**But soon enough you're gonna think of me**

**And how I used to be...me**

He got what that meant only because he listened carefully to the chorus.

She was still scared she's gonna scare him off.

Rory rested his arm on the back of her chair, burring his face in her hair, before the other hand cupped her chin and turned her face towards his. He smiled uncertainly and she smiled back, leaning in and brushing her lips against his lightly.

Maybe he was still a bit uncomfortable with the whole ex-boyfriends part, but at least he was trying. Trying for her.

* * *

She knew it was going to come one day, rather sooner than later. But still, she wasn't prepared for how it'd feel to dive face-first into a cup full of red dye and ice. And just so you know, it physically _hurt._

It wasn't that her pride was damaged. Or that she was in a wet, white T-shirt and surely everyone could now enjoy the view of her bra. It just was the fact that her skin tingled from the cold and the sickeningly sweet syrup got into her eye and it sting like a bitch.

She felt someone wrap a jacket around her, before leading her to the only coed bathroom on the campus. She thanked God it was near her locker.

She heard the door open and close before someone pulled out the stool they kept in every bathroom from under the sink, the legs scrapping the floor with a screech.

She was directed to the stool, and she slowly sat down, not wanting to land on the floor.

She felt a hand on her face, tilting her chin up until the back of her neck rested against the edge of the sink, water already filling it.

"You know, you didn't have to do that" She scowled, her skin still ice cold and tingling. "You could've just let me handle this myself. I can take care of ice and red dye number seven."

"I know. Doesn't mean you should."

"Yes I should" She slapped the hand away, growling. "I've been taking care of myself for the last eight years. I think a little bit of ice won't be a problem."

Rory looked down at her, his usual smile not there. He looked pissed.

"You know you don't have to be like that with me."

"Maybe I should start to be _like that_ with you especially" She took one of the towels (also stashed under the sink) and wrapped it around her – still full of the remaining ice and dye – hair, rubbing it furiously to try and dry it faster. "I've been in this school for more than three years – two of which I spent in a freaking _glee club_ – and it's the first time this shit happened. Not when I stopped sleeping around, not when the club was getting more and more bullied and bashed – no, I got a slushy facial because I have a stupid Irish fifteen year old boyfriend" She threw the towel away, angry at the stupid hockey players, at this school, at _herself_ cause she couldn't be normal or at least calm about it. No, she had to try to hurt him and play tough. It was exhausting. "Boyfriend who's so much of a wimp he got his ass kicked by a bunch of girls."

Rory just rolled his eyes, picking up the towel and wetting the corner of it with lukewarm water before waling up to her and casually mentioning the fact that the dyed water was dripping on the floor and she should wash it off her face as soon as possible.

She was stunned to silence, her body not moving an inch towards the offered towel. Rory sighed and took a step towards her, washing the dye away.

They spent a couple of minutes like that, Rory trying to make her look like a human being again, Mary looking at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I _want_ to."

She felt tears treating to spill as the whole situation sank in.

Who cared about the slushy or the fact that she lost the last ounces of respect she had. Who cared about hair or makeup or clothes.

Rory stayed through her tantrum ala terrible-two's, ignored the fact that she insulted him and still helped her.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me either."

"You _deserve_ a fucking award for sticking with me, you know?"

He chuckled, his eyes finally looking into her own.

"I'd like some making out then."

"Throw in some groping and you've got yourself a deal."


	10. Your Eyes Don't Know Me Yet

**A/N: **I'm so sorry fr the waiting guys! I promised you an update soon but you know how it is at the end of the term. Plus I won't be able to update in July AT ALL, so I'm sorry for that to, but come August I'll try to update as much as possible. Plus it's the first one of two/three Extraordinary Merry Christmas to Yes/No chapters.

So the song used in this chapter (and the title) is Ed Sheeran's Kiss Me. I own nothing but Marlo.

* * *

_Your Eyes (...) Don't Know Me Yet_

* * *

Marlo was tired. It was only the second week of December and already every surface in McKinley High was covered in cheap Christmas decorations. The cardboard Christmas trees were a bit too tacky for her taste, the colorful lights painted on them blurring with the too-bright green. She swore that half the kids in her kindergarten could color better then those high schoolers. Too bad they couldn't pass the students according to their talent in coloring. She didn't color outside the lines since third grade, so she was pretty sure she was a badass when it came to that.

She sighed, looking at the floor with hatred. It wasn't that she hated Christmas or Jesus – she was totally behind him and God and all that, she just invented her own religion that was build around the fact that if you love someone you accept them. God was supposed to love all his children, right? Then her brother was okay and normal and going to heaven cause he fucking deserved it. It was just that she hated the whole getting and giving part. She was okay with, like, giving people who she didn't know – like, donate clothes and do something around the homeless shelter or something. She hated finding gifts for the people she knew, though – it sucked. Plus the whole glee club was exchanging small gifts and Goddammit, what was she supposed to give Rachel fucking Berry or Santana Lopez? Maybe gift cards.

And that wasn't the worst – what was she supposed to give Jeff, the guy who's parents where rich as the freaking Queen and what do you even give to your best friend/ex-boyfriend? That's like the most awkward situation you can be in! And what the fuck she should give Rory? Like, damn, her boyfriend was so easy to please that it was a bit pathetic – a pack of bubble gum made him content for a whole week, groping satisfied him for at least two, in fact, he wasn't even asking for any physical contact, and damn, physical contact was the only part in relationships she was good at. What do you give to a person who doesn't ask for anything except everything you are inside? Because damn she wasn't ready for baring her soul in front of Rory, no matter how much she_ liked _him.

So, she did the only thing she could in that situation. She asked Kurt and Blaine for advice.

"It's all about what you feel for him" Said Blaine, his curls still gel free, although it was already one in the afternoon, and bouncing whenever Kurt poked one with his finger. She interrupted their 'movie weekend', which really meant that she caught them in between their intercourses (they put in movies as a sound barrier in between them and Mary or sometimes Finn if he was unfortunate enough to stay at home) on Saturday. Dad and Carole were in Washington or wherever the fuck they went. "You should find something that means a lot to you or him."

"You should really try to _feel _what you want to give to him" Kurt buried his hand in Blaine's curls, tugging a bit and giggling when he moaned. Marlo faked barfing at the scene. She didn't have to hear that. "He'd love it no matter what, anyway."

_Yeah, like I can actually FEEL what I want to give him _She rolled her eyes, thinking about their conversation. _If I could do that I'd never torture myself with the sight of my brother and future brother-in-law in their post orgasmic bliss._

She walked into the choir room, happy that it was still pretty deserted, with only Tina and Mike making out in the corner and Brad rolling his eyes while still sitting on his piano bench. She could still think about it.

She never really had a problem with gifts. In the Hummel household the gifts were never that important. While Kurt asked for Barbie's, she asked for little models of cars or racetracks or sweets. In the end Kurt got the cars and racetracks while she got the Barbie's, but they exchanged their gifts later, which was actually why she didn't buy her brother any presents till they were twelve and started to ask for money. And sweets. Their dad was nearly heartbroken bout the fact that all of Kurt's Christmas gifts were kept in her room, though. None of them ever complained, so he was sure he was an awesome gift giver.

"Whatcha thinking about, Hummel?"

She glared at Puck, slapping his shoulder.

"Don't sneak up on me. I still sometimes take that pocket knife to school and hide it in my bra, so be thankful that you didn't end up stabbed."

"You're bluffing, your boyfriend made you too soft for that and you know it" Puck rolled his eyes, chuckling. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

"You're a dick. And I'm thinking about Christmas gifts."

Puck groaned, tipping the chair he was sitting in back.

"Don't even remind me. What are you buying for Asian Fusion? I think about condoms or condoms."

The rest of the club walked in, Rory quickly taking the seat to her left and resting his arm on the back of her chair.

"What's going on?" He asked, smiling down at Marlo.

"Nothing" She smiled back. "You know, I'm just complaining about Christmas and Puck's as always here to help me find more reasons to complain about it."

"This shit never ends, my list is still in the making" Shrugged Puck, smirking. Rory's smile lost it's usual cheer. Mary frowned at the fact. What was making her boyfriend so… Bummed?

"Okay guys, this week's theme is…" _I guess it's Christmas_ "Christmas!" _Wow how did you come up with this one?_

"Mr. Shue, I'd like to say something" To Marlo's utter disbelief, her boyfriend raised his hand and took the floor, a little frown on his face. _Wow why is he sad he shouldn't be sad he's like my boyfriend I don't want him to be sad. _"Sadly, my mom won't be able to get here for Christmas. I'd like to dedicate a song to my family and the King, of course."

"I hope he means Elvis" Kurt glanced upwards, as if he could possibly see the God that offended him so much for some reason. Mary rolled her eyes. Her boyfriend's family was stuck in Ireland and the only thing Kurt seemed to care about was if the song was sung to God or Elvis Presley.

Marlo'd never admit that she was tearing up. Never. Something got stuck in her eye, that's why her eyes were wet. Of course not because of some feelings.

She cornered Rory after glee club ended.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She grabbed his hand, serious. "I mean, I'm your girlfriend. You should tell me things like that."

"I found out ten minutes before glee."  
"Okay, so that part of this conversation is behind us" She squeezed Rory's hand, glancing up at him every now and then. "You shouldn't be alone during the holidays."

"I can take care of myself just fine."

"I don't care – what do you say, twenty-third, my house, sleepover till twenty-sixth, Christmas Eve dinner with my family and then presents the next day."

"I-I can't possibly-"

"Yeah you can" She tugged his hand, smiling. "Blaine's gonna be there – you know, his parents suck and everything and they always spend Christmas on different continents. And Rachel comes over for the dinner with cookies and shit and stays till the morning" She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "The Hudmel house is always full and everything. Plus Sam's going back to his parents' for Christmas, so you can take his part of Finn's room."

That was the truth, really – since Sam was sleeping in Finn's room, he had a spare bed there anyway, and it was already decided that Blaine would be sleeping on an air mattress in Mary's room, while Rachel will be staying in Kurt's room.

"Plus, me and Sam already had plans for the ones who have nothing to do on the twenty-third. We're going to help at the shelter."

"And you're totally invited, dude" Sam appeared out of nowhere, his hand squeezing Rory's shoulder reassuringly. "Giving others is what Christmas' all about, right?"

Rory looked at the hand on his shoulder and then at the arms around his neck, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

The Flammevans (_"Sam this name sucks" "Shut up, you're just jealous of my creative mind"_) Christmas Extravaganza was officially planned. Mary congratulated Rory on his choice of spending the holidays with her family around, considering the fact that her father was scary as shit. Sadly, Rory changed his mind pretty quickly.

"It's this stupid fame and fortune dream" Sam rolled his eyes, walking faster than half the people in McKinley could run, with Marlo jogging hot on his heels. "They want as much as they can take, but won't even give anything back."

"God, Sam, most of ND are seniors and half of us haven't applied for college yet and most of the deadlines are in January. We're all idiots."

"Okay you may have a point" He nodded, slowing down a bit. "But still. This blows."

"I know."

"Like, how many people don't even have a home."

"I know."

"And it means so much to me and they all know it."

"I know."

"They suck."

"I fucking know okay? Now listen" She turned him around, a smile on her face. "We're gonna forget that selfish fools okay? Now, we both know Quinn's up for helping, and believe me, Rory'll get himself together soon enough – hell, I'm sure he'll convince the others to help, too. He just needs time. You know what kind of things peer pressure forces you to do."

Sam looked down at his shoes, smiling sadly and nodding, before shaking his head and looking up with a real smile.

"So I'm gonna spend the day with two of my ex's. That's fun."

"Shut up."

"Anyway, until then, I'll help you find a present for your man. What do you think about Lucky Charms?"

Mary laughed, hooking her arm through Sam's and letting him lead her out of the building.

* * *

She was right.

Well, that wasn't really something new – she was almost always right, especially when it came to Rory. She could read him like a book by now. Although that fact still didn't help her find a decent present for him.

Still, she never felt more happy than when she saw Rory lead the New Directions into the shelter, a big smile on his face.

She shivered, a warm feeling setting in her chest, the butterflies in her stomach getting more lively then normally, while a lump formed itself in her throat. Surprisingly, it was quite pleasant. She never felt anything like it, but she was sure she wanted that feeling to stay.

* * *

Life is crazy. One moment you're giving food to homeless people, another you're awkwardly fumbling with your boyfriends' shirt's buttons. But let's go back to the beginning.

Rory convinced her that she didn't have to buy him a present. She convinced Rory that the only thing she could give him then, was herself. Turns out, Rory's gift was himself, but in another form.

"I just… Want to sing to you. Privately. Without anyone there. Cause, you know, it's only for you… I know, it's dumb."

She silenced him with a kiss. Rory maneuvered her to the couch, before pulling out the cd and putting it in her stereo.

The intro was soft, notes cutting the thick air with their sweet melody. Marlo inhaled sharply before relaxing, letting the music surround her.

**Settle down with me**

**Cover me up**

**Cuddle me in**

**Lie down with me**

**And hold me in your arms**

That was when Mary realized that she wanted Rory. Not only physically wanted him. She realized that it wasn't just that he made her smile after so long. It wasn't only that he _got _her.

She sincerely wanted him to stay with her, for as long as possible.

It scared the crap out of her. But at the same time, she felt that she was ready. She was ready to let him see all of her sides, know everything, even the not so pretty stuff.

**And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck**

**I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet**

**And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now**

That's how she found herself as close as she could to Rory while still fully clothed. That's why she finally let herself kiss him with everything she had inside – the pain, the desperation, the need.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love**

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

She let Rory explore her mouth with his tongue, while her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt. She navigated them towards her room, thankful that everyone was gone until the next morning, leaving them completely alone for the next twelve hours at least.

**Settle down with me**

**And I'll be your safety**

**You'll be my lady**

**I was made to keep your body warm**

**But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms**

**Oh no**

**My heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck**

**I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet**

**And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now**

She shivered as Rory's lips connected with the bare skin of her neck, before trailing down to her collarbones. He opened the door to her room and lead her in, before kicking it shut behind them.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love**

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

Rory delicately laid her down on the bed, before slowly lowering himself on top of her. She ran her fingers over his chest, the white button down open and hanging low on his shoulders. It was his turn to shiver, before he shrugged off the shirt.

Mary took a deep breath and took a hold of the hem of her own shirt, before lifting it over her head, taking off her skirt right after.

**Yeah I've been feeling everything**

**From hate to love**

**From love to lust**

**From lust to truth**

**I guess that's how I know you**

**So I hold you close to help you give it up**

She buried her face in Rory's neck, while he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like this for a couple of minutes, just holding each other. Marlo took a deep breath.

She was ready.

**So kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love**

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

She shared one last kiss before everything was going to change.

**This feels like falling in love**

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**


	11. You Make Me Smile Even Just For A While

**A/N: **I'm so sorry this chapter's so short - I just plan for the next chapter to be extra longer so I don't leave you all with something stupidly short and unsatisfying. Anyway, the songs in this chapter are:

1. Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly", sung by _Mary_ (you know, the whole I'm-singing-but-not-really glee sequence we often see and the title's also from this song)

2. Celtic Thunder's "Our First Christmas Together" sung by **Rory**.

There are also mentioned "Baby It's Cold Outside" and Eagles' "Please Come Home For Christmas". I own nothing but Marlo.

* * *

_You Make Me Smile Even Just For A While_

* * *

Mary opened her eyes and yawned, before sting up and arching her back with her arms above her head. She was sticky with sweat, her hair plastered to her neck and cheeks, but even that couldn't possibly ruin this moment for her. The air was still thick, smelling of sex and she had to admit, she forgot how long it took to get rid of the smell after everything. She got up and opened her window, letting in some fresh air. She was happy to note that there was no car in the driveway. They were alone.

_I've been awake for a while now_

_You got me feeling like a child now_

_Cause every time I see your bubbly face_

_I get tingles in a silly place_

She turned towards the bed once more, watching Rory. She was an early raiser and she never really stayed around after sex, even with Sam, so she never saw any of the guys while they were sleeping. She never really cared.

_Start in my toes_

_And I crinkle my nose_

_Wherever it goes_

_I always know_

_You make me smile_

_Please stay for a while now_

_Just take your time_

_Wherever you go_

Rory's kiss swollen lips were parted, his hair a mess, some of it stuck to his forehead. One of his hands was hidden under his pillow, another stretched towards her side of the bed. Seems like he was a cuddler. She smiled at the thought, the butterflies in her stomach making flips.

The air in the room got chilly. She shut the window, happy to note that the air was cleaned. God forbid any of the Hudmel men finding out she slept with Rory.

She went back to watching him. She never really noted the fact that Rory didn't look like a boy – somehow, against everything, he was build more like a man now. His shoulders were broader, muscles shifting under the skin of his back. She shook her head. She had to stop, she was acting creepy.

_What am I gonna say_

_When you make me feel this way_

_I just_

_Start in my toes_

_Make me crinkle my nose_

_Wherever it goes_

_I always know_

_You make me smile_

_Please stay for a while now_

_Just take your time_

_Wherever you go_

She took Rory's shirt and her shorts before making her way towards the bathroom. After she was done showering she made her way to the kitchen. She was happy to note that the fridge wasn't empty. That was something new since Carole was flying around the country with her dad.

She was just starting to heat the pan when Rory came down the stairs, in his pajamas. She was thankful he put his bag in her room the night before. Kurt and Finn could come in anytime now and the last thing she wanted was her brothers seeing her boyfriend naked.

"What's for breakfast?" He rubbed his eyes, still sleepy.

"I hope you like eggs, cause that's all we have for now" She smiled, shrugging. "Kurt's supposed to bring some food."

"Hmm, eggs are perfect" He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

_Start in my soul_

_And I lose all control_

_When you kiss my nose_

_The feeling shows_

_You make me smile_

_Babe just take your time now_

_Holding me tight_

"Stop, it tickles" She giggled, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Can't help it" He chuckled, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes. "God, I'm exhausted."

"Go take a shower" She kissed his cheek, keeping an eye on the eggs. "It'll help."

"Mm, okay" He let go of her, walking out of the kitchen.

_Wherever, wherever, wherever you go_

_Wherever, wherever, wherever you go_

_Wherever you go I always know_

She heard the engine of Finn's truck. Mary sighed.

_Cause you make me smile even just for a while_

"What's up sis?" Finn burst into the kitchen, the smell of scrambled eggs clearly working like a bait. "Food."

"I sincerely feel bad for Berry" She rolled her eyes. "Knowing that there's something that will always come before you sucks. Now be useful and take out five plates. Knowing Klaine they'll come here any minute now. And try not to break anything."

"Where's Rory?"

"In the shower. Now what did I tell you abut those plates? Get them out, unless you want to eat burned eggs."

* * *

"So mum and Burt are gonna be here in about an hour" Finn sat down on the couch, looking around. "How's the diner?"

"Almost done" Kurt walked out of the kitchen, Blaine right behind him. "Just the cake left, and it's already in the oven."

"Okay, the table?"

"Everything's in place" Marlo sat down on the armrest of Rory's chair. "The tree?"

"Colorful and done" Finn pointed at the Christmas tree behind him, colorful lights glowing. "What now?"

"Well, there's TV and movies but we all know how that ends-"

"I won't watch any of those chick flicks!"

"Do you think _I _enjoy any of _your _films?"

"Down, boys" Mary rolled her eyes. "So, what about singing? You know, we all like it, after all."

"Yes!" Blaine jumped out of his seat, his fist punching the air. Then he noticed the weird stares they were giving him. "I mean, I want to sing something!"

He and Kurt started to (once again) sing 'Baby It's Cold Outside'. Marlo (once again) rolled her eyes. When they finally ended the song with a kiss, Finn and Mary started to mock them, singing Eagles' 'Please Come Home For Christmas'. Then Rory forced Marlo to sit in his lap, wrapping his arms around her and softly singing 'Our First Christmas Together'.

**With those jingle bells ringing**

**As I'm holding you near**

**I'll be making a toast**

**May tonight be the most**

**Unforgettable night of the year**

**The year**

**Cuddled up and cozy**

**The future's looking rosy**

**And I can see us spending every Christmas**

**Together**

**Just you and me**

**Just you and me**

**Just you and me**

**Just you and me**

Marlo's face lit up with a smile while she leaned in and kissed him slowly.

"Guys, you do know there's not just the two of you here, _right_?"

The girl groaned, throwing her pillow at Finn.

"Shut the heck up before I'll do something to you, okay? I'm tired of you _interrupting_."

"Wait, I _interrupted _something this morning? What were you going to do, _dear sister_?"

"None of your business."

"Ew, stop talking about this!" Kurt covered his face with his hands, whining. "I don't want to think about this, change of subject!"

"Oh come on, you and Blaine get to have sex all the time and _I _have to hear it but when we _imply _me sleeping with Rory it's constantly 'Ew stop'? No way brother dear, I'll stand on the roof and freaking shout out to the world that I had se-"

"I think that's enough, _Mary Burt Hummel_" Only one person was permitted to use her awful second name she got thanks to her parents' bet on who's gonna come out first. Her mother was either a genius or cruel troll, seeing as she was convinced that Marlo would be the older one and still agreed to dad's term on giving the first twin _the freaking father's name _as the second name.

"If you'd like to elaborate on this matter later, you can find me on the couch. I think we need to have a little talk anyway."

"Yes dad."

* * *

The dinner was the most awkward moment of Mary Hummel's life. The Talk included.

Her father was glaring at Rory and Blaine the whole time, while Carole tried to talk to Kurt about anything – and that means they even started a small talk about the weather. Nice going, she had to say.

Sighing, she stabbed her salad with her fork. It was gonna be a long, long Christmas dinner.


End file.
